PM Modi inaugurates Halwara airport; flight to Delhi expected in early March—the first and only service initially

The terminal has been completed after several missed deadlines. In 2018, the then Congress-led Punjab Government gave the go-ahead for the construction of a civil terminal at the Halwara air force base, but the paucity of funds stalled the civil work several times.

The airport has been constructed in Aitiana village by expanding the IAF base in Halwara.

Just one flight

While successive Governments, including the current AAP-led one and the previous one led by the Congress, have claimed Halwara to be an “international” facility, it will take several years for it to become a reality.
Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora said in a statement on Saturday, “Air India has received required permissions from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to operate the flight from Halwara, and the flights are expected to commence from the first week of March.”

Himanshu Jain, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, said to The Indian Express, “Initially, the terminal would cater to one domestic flight to Delhi and back, and it will be operated by Air India. We have made all the required preparations for the flight operations to commence, but it requires the coordination of several departments. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) will handle the airport operations, and we are hoping for the flight to commence soon.”

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “Further advancing aviation infrastructure in Punjab, the Terminal Building being inaugurated by PM at Halwara Airport will establish a new gateway for the State, catering to Ludhiana and its surrounding industrial and agricultural hinterland.”

The statement further said the earlier airport at Ludhiana had a relatively small runway, suitable for small aircraft, adding that the new civil enclave had been developed at Halwara with a longer runway capable of handling A320-type aircraft.

Proposal to name the airport after Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha

Although the terminal has been named “Halwara airport” due to its proximity to the IAF base, it is located in Aitiana village, where at least 272 farmers had given away their 162 acres of land for the project.

Villagers say they object to the name and have urged authorities to name it Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Airport, Aitiana, after the Ghadar revolutionary from Ludhiana who was hanged by the British when he was just 19.

According to Chief Minister Mann, his Government has proposed to the Centre that the airport be named after Kartar Singh Sarabha. The proposal remains pending.