New Delhi: A joint venture agreement was signed on Monday between the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Himachal Pradesh government for the development of Greenfield airport at Nagchala in Mandi district in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in New Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Civil Aviation Minister said, “We are committed to providing last-mile connectivity to the people of Himachal Pradesh. With this in mind, we are developing new aviation infrastructure as well as upgrading existing facilities in Himachal Pradesh whether it is development of a new Greenfield airport in Mandi or the acquisition of additional land for the extension of runways at existing airports. With this, we are committed to developing civil aviation as a harbinger of economic development for the region.”
The new Greenfield airport at Nagchala, Mandi is being developed under the Greenfield Airport Policy of MoCA and a Joint Venture Company between the government of Himachal Pradesh and the Airport Authority of India has been formed. The project requires approximately 515 acres and the estimated cost is around Rs 900 crore excluding the cost of land.
In Himachal Pradesh, there are three airports -- Shimla, Kullu, and Kangra -- and five heliports -- Kangnidhar, Shimla, Rampur, Baddi, and SASE (Manali) -- that are developed or being developed. The projects are expected to give a massive boost to the tourism industry of the state once completed. Apart from Scindia and Thakur, the event was attended by senior officials from the civil aviation ministry, the Airport Authority of India, and the government of Himachal Pradesh.
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