Kargil Airport
Kargil Airport | |||||||||||
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Coordinates | 34°31′22″N 076°09′18″E / 34.52278°N 76.15500°E | ||||||||||
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Kargil Airport (ICAO: VI65) is a military airfield in Kargil district 6 km (3.7 mi) away from Kargil and 217 km (135 mi) from Leh. It is one of two airports in the union territory of Ladakh. The airport will be expanded for operation of commercial jets by the end of 2019.[1][needs update] (Dzongkha and Ladakhi)
History
The airport was built by the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir in 1996 for civilian operations.[2] and was leased to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).[3] Kargil rose to prominence in the late 1990s as the site of an undeclared war between India and Pakistan.[4] AAI transferred the operational control and maintenance to Indian Air Force (IAF) because the airport was vulnerable to shelling by Pakistani forces.[5]
The
The Air Force operates its
The airport is a much debated issue for local politicians as well as the public who pursue the point that the airport should be opened to commercial civilian services.[8][9] Air Mantra became the first commercial company to land a civilian aircraft at the airport when it landed a 17-seater aircraft with dignitaries, including then Chief Minister of the state Omar Abdullah, on board in January, 2012.[10] However, the service could not be sustained.[11]
The Jammu and Kashmir government sanctioned ₹ billion to upgrade the airport to handle commercial flights. A pre-feasibility study was conducted by the AAI in June 2019. The report recommended extending the existing 6,000-foot (1,800 m) runway by another 5,000 ft (1,500 m) in order to make it suitable for commercial jets.[12]
References
- ^ "Civilian flights to Kargil by year-end: Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik". The Times of India. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Kargil to be a major Indian Air Force base". Zee News. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Kargil Airport To Be Expanded". Press Information Bureau. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Regulator asks SpiceJet to start flights to Kargil". Live Mint. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Ministry of defence to run Kargil airport". Dawn. 29 December 2002. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ A Full-Fledged Air Base In Kargil And Its Implication For India Analysis
- ^ "J&K starts air courier service for Kargil". The Economic Times. 20 December 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ MATTERS UNDER RULE-377: Regarding Need For Early Commissioning Of ... on 22 November, 2000
- ^ Operate air service to Kargil Akhoon to CA Minister Lastupdate:- Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT GreaterKashmir.com
- The Hindu Business Line. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Flights to Kargil, Kasauli soon". Condé Nast Traveller. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Kargil airport to operate commercial flights". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 April 2020.