In order to cater to the sharp increase in flight operations and passenger numbers, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started to work on plans for a considerable expansion of the Hindon civil enclave near Ghaziabad, The Hindu Businessline reported. To kickstart the project, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared to initiate the next phase of the airport’s development. The proposal is aimed at substantially bolstering the passenger handling capacity as well as enhancing facilities at the terminals.
9 hectares of land needed
The project is slated to need almost 9 hectares of land, and local authorities have already begun the process of acquiring land, the report claims. Notably, the acquisition of land surrounding the existing terminal will pave the way for a larger passenger area, along with check-in counters and expanded apron space.
According to a recent survey, 34,500 square metres of land is identified, which will be utilised to build four new aircraft parking bays, taking the total number from two to six.
According to officials, the initiative will considerably check the congestion, simultaneously allowing smooth flight operations. Businessline quotes a source familiar with the development saying, “The Defence Ministry’s cooperation will be crucial to expanding the apron and optimising civilian flight schedules.”
As Hindon is primarily a defence facility, serving as an Indian Air Force base, civilian operations are only undertaken during daytime slots. Night-flying permissions from the facility are still under consideration.
Number of passengers has been swelling
Moreover, the number of passengers has been swelling, with the airport now handling more than 5,000 passengers daily across nearly 50 flights.
According to recent data by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, aircraft departures have gone up by 137.9 per cent in FY24, with the number of departing passengers witnessing a hike by 184.6 per cent to around 84,000.
During a recent review, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stressed that further land acquisition was necessary for passenger comfort and operational safety.
