New airport terminal building opens for public

While the new terminal building was used during the ICC World Cup semifinal match between India and Pakistan,when a host of celebrities descended here,on Thursday,the Kings XI Punjab team boarded their flight from the airport.

The building — constructed on an area of 17 acres — has two floors and is centrally air-conditioned. Two conveyer belts have been installed — one at the arrival and the bother at the departure. Weighing of the luggage and its movement has also become automated. Flight information display systems have been installed,where passengers can check the status of their flights. Besides escalators,a medical inspection room and a child care centre have been set up. New counters for airlines have also been constructed. In all,the project is worth around Rs 80 crore.

Meanwhile,the process to build a shopping arcade has been initiated. According to officials,within the next four months,the arcade will be fully operational. The terminal building will have the capacity to accommodate around 400 passengers at one time.

Airport Controller H S Toor said that after the old terminal building is demolished and the land merged with the apron area,the capacity to park aircraft will increase. At present,only three aircraft can be parked. This will be increased to five. The work for beautification has also been undertaken.

Meanwhile,the passengers were in for a pleasant surprise. “The building is a complete contrast from the old one. It is beautifully made and more facilities are available,” said Kunal,who had come to see off his relatives.

Similar views were expressed by others who felt that the new facility made it more convenient to fly.

The heritage and culture of the city is also reflected in the panel created on the building wall,where impressions of the Open Hand,sculptures created by Nek Chand at Rock Garden,etc are on display.

P Anil Kumar,Regional Executive Director (Northern Zone),Airport Authority of India (AAI),said: “We held a soft launch today as it will give us an idea about glitches. Within the next few weeks,operations will be completely streamlined. International flights will also start operations from here once the requisite clearances are in place.”

With the new terminal becoming operational,minor glitches were witnessed in the parking area — confusion prevailed regarding the entry into the parking area.

The construction of the terminal had began in the end of 2007 but was delayed. With the terminal being finally operational,there are hopes for international flights taking off from the airport. A go-ahead is being awaited from the customs and immigration department. While airlines have approached the AAI in this regard,a final decision is yet to be taken.

The AAI officials are also hopeful of beginning construction of a new terminal in Mohali. Around 306 acres of land has been acquired for the purpose.