IAF okays use of Hindon air base as airport backup
THE MINISTRY WILL ACT ON REQUESTS FROM AIRLINES IF THEY WANT TO USE A DEFENCE AIR FIELD
base and is home to Boeing C-17 Globemaster aircraft that forms the backbone of the heavy air lift division of the Indian Air Force. Google maps show 5 Globemasters stationed at the base together with four turboprop planes and one helicopter.
The C-17 is capable of strategic delivery of up to 170,900 pounds of personnel and/or equipment to main operating bases or forward operating locations especially on short runways like those in Ladakh, near the Chinese border.
“There are major airports like Pune and Goa, which have civilian flights. They coexist,” said Deba Mohanty, head of New Delhi-based Indike Analytics, a research firm on defence and strategic affairs.
Chaubey said no new slots would be given at Mumbai airport in the winter season as it was already congested for the second round of UDAN, the government’s flagship regional flying scheme.
UDAN or Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, which translates to “let the common man fly”, proposes that at least half the seats on every flight should have a fare cap of Rs 2,500 per seat per hour of flying.
Five airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha and Air Deccan, were allotted 128 routes to fly in first round, but only 16 routes have been operationalised.
The civil aviation ministry last week said it had relaxed norms for UDAN . The relaxations include dilution of exclusivity clause mandating that only one airline can fly on one route in initial years. The norms that restricted two airports in close proximity from participating in the bidding have also been relaxed.
IndiGo has announced it plans to buy 50 ATR planes, while SpiceJet has also signed a letter of intent to buy 50 Bombardier Q400 regional planes.