Haryana Reaches For The Skies As It Improves Interstate Air Connectivity

The newly-constructed Maharaja Agrasen International Airport at Hisar will soon service flights to Chandigarh and four other destinations from August, according to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.According to an official statement, flights will take off from Hisar Airport and land at Chandigarh, Ayodhya, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Jammu. The announcement will realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of making air travel accessible to the common man, said Saini.Saini's remarks came after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Haryana government's Civil Aviation Department and Alliance Air Aviation Limited to promote air connectivity to regional airports under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). For the chief minister, it marked a significant day for civil aviation in the state."The signing of this MoU with Alliance Air has opened new opportunities to advance the broader objectives of making Hisar a comprehensive aviation hub. Air connectivity will boost the state's economy," he said.Meanwhile, Haryana's Civil Aviation Minister Kamal Gupta said that Karnal will become a hub for domestic air travel across India in the coming months. "Plans are afoot to upgrade Karnal Aerodrome into a fully operational domestic airport," he said.Gupta discussed the proposal to build a domestic airport in Karnal with officers of various departments in the city. The team was given the necessary guidance to expedite the implementation of this project, an official statement said.To facilitate the initiative, a thorough inspection of the Karnal Aerodome was conducted and officials were directed to address any existing challenges that would hinder the project's advancement. Gupta also examined the workshop, runway and other key facilities at the Karnal Aerodrome during his visit.He further stated that surveys were currently being conducted at Karnal, Ambala, Pinjore, Narnaul and Bhiwani, where airstrips ranging from 914m-1,219m are available. Under the RCS, the possibilities of establishing domestic airports were being explored based on these surveys. Discussions will follow after surveying all airstrips, and wherever feasible, domestic airports will be developed, Gupta said.(With inputs from PTI.)