Come March, flight ops at Kangra airport to be extended till sunset

Currently, the airport operates in a single shift till 2 pm amid staff limitations but will get around 50 more police personnel

The Kangra airport at Gaggal is planning to extend flight operations at the facility from 2 pm to sunset by March 2025. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already granted necessary permissions and airport authorities are making arrangements for the change.

The airport authorities are also planning the reconfiguration of the existing terminal building. (File)

Currently, the airport operates flights in a single shift until 2 pm due to a shortage of manpower. The airport, however, will also get around 50 more police personnel with the increase in operations.

The airport authorities are also planning the reconfiguration of the existing terminal building, for which the tender will be published soon. The same building will be expanded laterally and the first floor will also be added. The arrival area will also be expanded.

Sharing further details, Kangra airport director Dhirendra Singh, said, “We are planning to start the sunrise to sunset flight operations from March. The reconfiguration of the existing terminal building will also be carried out concurrently and take around six to seven months.”

The move is being tipped to boost the tourism industry of the region, which has long been favouring the expansion of the airport and its operations.

Airport expansion process underway

The state government is also in the process of expanding the Gaggal airport. The expansion project, which is underway, aims to increase the runway length of Kangra airport from the current 1,372 meters to 3,010 meters. This extension is crucial for accommodating larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A320, which would enhance connectivity between the valley and other parts of the country.

The ability to accommodate bigger aircraft is expected to reduce travel costs on this route. Only six flights per day operate from the Kangra airport presently and due to the shorter runway, only 72-seater aircraft can land on the airstrip.

Disdrometer installed at airport

In a first, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (ITM), Pune, recently also installed a state-of-the-art disdrometer at the Kangra Airport in the Himalayan region.

A disdrometer is a sophisticated instrument used to measure the size distribution and velocity of raindrops along with the rain-intensity and rainfall accumulation for every 30 seconds, thereby providing critical data on precipitation microphysics.

The installation aims to enhance the understanding of precipitation patterns and rain microphysics in the Himalayan region, which is prone to complex weather phenomena. The data collected will contribute to improving regional weather models, hydrological studies, and climate research.

Furthermore, it supports aviation safety by providing precise rainfall characteristics for better weather prediction in the airport vicinity and Kangra Dharamshala region.