Haryana’s Deputy Chief Minister, Dushyant Chautala, who also oversees civil aviation in the state, has directed officials from the civil aviation department to explore the possibility of constructing an airstrip along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in the Nuh-Gurugram region.
The minister also instructed officials to investigate the feasibility of building an airstrip along the Delhi-Katra Expressway, which is currently under construction, in the Jind and Kaithal districts of Haryana.
During a review meeting of ongoing civil aviation projects in the state, Deputy CM Chautala urged officials to promptly submit a plan for these initiatives. He also asked them to identify suitable 100-acre plots in both locations through the e-bhoomi portal for potential airstrip construction.
A senior government official noted that Haryana currently has five airstrips, none of which are in the Delhi-NCR region. The nearest airstrip is in Bhiwani, which is quite distant from Gurugram and Faridabad.
The official explained, “Building an airstrip closer to Gurugram aims to facilitate easier travel within the National Capital Region by connecting air routes with major highways. This move will also reduce dependence on the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.”
Raja Shekhar Vundru, Additional Chief Secretary of the Civil Aviation Department in Haryana, confirmed the developments, stating, “We were tasked with checking the availability of 100-acre land parcels along these highways through the e-bhoomi portal for airstrip construction.”
Additionally, during the review meeting, the Deputy CM called for plans to establish a drone manufacturing base in the state. He emphasized the importance of receiving regular updates on the progress of the Hisar airport project to ensure timely completion.
The 1,350km Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will link the Sohna elevated corridor with Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra, passing through several states, including Haryana. The project’s first phase, connecting Sohna and Dausa in Rajasthan, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 12 this year.
In the meeting, Chautala announced plans to construct hangars at the airstrips in Karnal, Bhiwani, Narnaul, and Pinjore. He also directed the establishment of MRO (maintenance repair and overhaul) units at all airstrips in the state except for Narnaul.
Regarding aviation infrastructure, it was noted during the meeting that a temporary air traffic control (ATC) tower is being set up at Hisar airport until a standard ATC tower is completed. Additionally, the Deputy CM reviewed the progress of associated airside works, including monsoon drain construction, isolation bay development, vehicular lane construction, navigation aid installation, security watch tower construction, and perimeter road development.