Amritsar airport revamp: New landing system by Sept; mall, hotel on the anvil
AMRITSAR: Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, which will get two more daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai from next month, will witness a revamp starting this year, authorities said on Monday..
While projects worth Rs 200 crore are in the works already, the Centre has sanctioned plans worth another Rs 120 crore, said BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Amritsar mayor Shwait Malik. Tenders will now be called for a multi-storey parking , a mall , a five-star hotel, and duty-free shops. A meeting chaired by airport director Venkateshwar Rao and Malik with senior officers saw a detailed discussion on the trajectory of the airport.
Speaking with HT, Malik said an instrument landing system (ILS) of CAT II-B will be installed at the airport by September. It will allow flights to operate even in 50-metre visibility, while at present the CAT-II ILS here cannot help in case visibility goes down to 350 metres and below.
“Runway lights, glide path and other relevant logistics will be installed at war footing along the tarmac. The airport will also get more flights,” added the MP. “This airport is very important as it is not only catering to Punjab but also to J&K and Himachal Pradesh. If the infrastructure lapses are worked on, then we will get a fleet of flights and will also boost revenue for all states. I have already taken up the matter with our (Union) government and they have support these projects which would be completed by the end of this year,” he declared.