Air Force may open more bases for civilian aircraft

Several air force stations could soon be open to civilian aircraft as part of an understanding between the defence services and the civil aviation ministry.

The Indian Air Force has around 60 air bases, of which 18 are open for civilian flights.

"There are strong recommendations for Halwara and Jaisalmer. There is scope for cargo operations in Halwara due to the hosiery industry there. Jaisalmer is a tourist spot so there is a lot of scope for charter operations," said an industry source.

Kargil is another place that may be opened for passenger operations soon. "Air operations in these places are usually viable when the roads are snow-clogged. The Indian Air Force already has a courier service from there. For passenger operations, we could be looking at the Kargil-Srinagar route," said a defence ministry official.

The move addresses a demand of some airlines to allow more landing points for aircraft, given the congestion at civilian airports. This month will see 42,200 domestic flights, a 25 per cent increase from July last year, while the number of international flights will be 13,040, 7 per cent more than last July.

Congestion is at its worst in Delhi and Mumbai. Hovering time for aircraft in Delhi airport is 20-40 minutes and in Mumbai, 30 minutes or more.

The most recent development in this issue was the opening up of Hindan airspace near Ghaziabad for civilian flights approaching Delhi. "By opening up Hindan airspace, you could save five minutes of flying time," said a Delhi International Airport Ltd executive.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has been pushing for joint management of airspace between the defence services and the civil aviation ministry, but this has been a touchy issue.

In a recent Cabinet meeting, Defence Minister A K Antony raised concerns about sharing airspace.

"We have clearly stated in our policy that all our air bases are open to civilian use. There is a proper procedure for going about it and some security concerns have to be taken care of. After that, it is for the civil aviation ministry to decide which air base they want to use," said an Indian Air Force spokesperson.