Bathinda Airport

Bathinda Airport (IATA: BUP, ICAO: VIBT) is an airport serving MALWA, a Region in the Indian state of Punjab. It is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of the city near the village of Virk Kalan. The airport is a civil enclave of the Bhisiana air force station. Alliance Air introduced flights to Bathinda from Delhi in December 2016.

Bathinda Airport
Summary
Airport typeCivil Enclave
OwnerIndian Air Force
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesBathinda
LocationVirk Kalan, Punjab, India
Elevation AMSL201 m / 662 ft
Coordinates30°16′12″N 74°45′20″E
Map
BUP
BUP
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 2,804 9,199 Asphalt/Concrete

History

On 25 November 2016, Sukhbir Singh Badal, deputy chief minister of Punjab, announced that Alliance Air would begin flights between Bathinda and Delhi on 11 December.[1] The announcement came one week after talks between Air India and local officials regarding the viability of flights to Bathinda.[2] The flights began operating three times a week with the ATR 72-600.[3] A ceremony was held to inaugurate the terminal and the Delhi flights. The state deputy chief minister; Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju, the union civil aviation minister; and Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a member of parliament from Bathinda, were among those in attendance.[4]

Infrastructure

The Bathinda airport has a 1,200-square-metre (13,000 sq ft) terminal for commercial flights that was built at a cost of ₹25 crore (US$3.5 million).[5] It has a capacity for 100 passengers with a waiting area that can seat 30 people.[2][5] The terminal contains two check-in counters and a VIP lounge.[5]

The airport's runway, 13/31, is 2,804 metres (9,199 ft) in length.[6] The apron can park two aircraft similar to the ATR 72-600 in size.[5]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinationsRefs.
Alliance Air Delhi, Jammu[7]

Bhisiana air force station

Bathinda Airport functions as a civil enclave of the Bhisiana air force station. The Air Force provides air traffic control and emergency services for the airport.[8]

Access

The airport is located near the village of Virk Kalan, 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Bathinda.[2] It has a car park with spaces for 40 vehicles.[5] The nearest bus station is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the airport. Direct bus service by the PRTC was scheduled to begin on the opening date of the passenger terminal; however, it was postponed following the death of the PRTC chairman.[9][10]

References
  1. Singh, Varinder (3 December 2016). "Air India gears up for maiden Bathinda-Delhi flight on Dec 11". The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  2. "Bathinda, India to open to commercial traffic". ch-aviation. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. "Air India initiates first commercial service to Bathinda". anna.aero. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. "Bathinda gets air connectivity". The Hindu. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. "New Civil Air Terminal at Bathinda Airport dedicated to the nation and launch of first Alliance Air flight for Delhi-Bathinda-Delhi Sector by Shri P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Hon'ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation" (PDF) (Press release). Airports Authority of India. 11 December 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  6. "VIBT - Bhatinda Airport". SkyVector. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  7. "Timetable" (PDF). Alliance Air. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  8. Mohan, Vijay (30 December 2014). "No flights from Bathinda airport 2 yrs after completion". The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  9. Khanna, Bharat (13 December 2016). "Airport 2 km away from bus stop in Virk Kalan, no direct link from city yet". The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  10. "Mini buses: Flag-off ceremony postponed by PRTC". The Tribune. Chandigarh. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.

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