Ludhiana, April 8: Ludhiana’s much-awaited international airport at Halwara is nearly ready for takeoff, with final touches scheduled for completion by April 30, according to the district administration.
Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain on Tuesday said nearly 90 percent of the work has been completed, while the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been urged to expedite the remaining tasks. “We’ve initiated the process to secure final statutory approvals from Union departments. The aim is to meet the April-end deadline,” Jain noted after reviewing the site.
The upcoming airport, located at the Halwara Air Force Station, has already been granted the ICAO code “VIHX.” While the IATA code remains pending, a formal request has been forwarded to the IAF. The facility has been provisionally named Halwara Airport by the Centre.
Jain chaired a meeting with senior officials from the IAF and Airports Authority of India (AAI) to inspect the status of work, including runway overlaying, terminal signage, CCTV installation, furniture setup, and drainage construction. He directed all departments—including PWD, central agencies, and private contractors—to “expedite pending tasks without delay.”
The DC said key components such as perimeter fencing, lighting for taxiways, security watchtowers, and testing of FIDS and CCTV systems were in progress. “All elements required to make the airport operational have been listed, and departments have been told to coordinate closely,” he added.
AAI Chairman Vipin Kumar recently informed Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora that the terminal’s handover by the state government would mark the final step before operations begin. “The operational date will be finalised once the civil terminal is complete and handed over,” Kumar told Arora, who has been actively pushing for the airport’s early launch.
With the overlaying of taxiways inside the IAF area complete and the main runway nearing completion, the stage is set for commercial flights. The bidding process for airline operations is expected to begin soon.
Air India has already confirmed its interest in operating from Ludhiana once the airport becomes functional.
