Itanagar: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted aerodrome licence for public use to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for Hollongi Airport, Itanagar paving the way for operationalising commercial flight services, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced on Thursday.
Khandu shared the news on his Twitter handle and extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continuous support and guidance.
“It speaks volumes of our perseverance to transform every promise into action. @DGCAIndia grants aerodrome license to @AAI_Official for Hollongi airport, paving way for passenger flight services,” Khandu tweeted.
“The newly built Greenfield Hollongi Airport in Arunachal Pradesh has received Aerodrome Licence from @DGCAIndia. License for public use for VFR (Day) operations. The new aerodrome meets reference Code 4C & is designed for operations of Airbus 320/A319 type or equivalent aircraft,” the Airports Authority of India said in a tweet.
The soon-to-be inaugurated airport is going to connect Arunachal Pradesh with other major cities in the country. It will help boost tourism and will spur economic growth of the Northeast Indian state, it said.
It may be mentioned that the Arunachal Assembly on Tuesday passed a government resolution regarding the naming of the newly-built greenfield airport, Hollongi near here as Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar’. Earlier, the State Cabinet on August 4 gave its seal of approval for naming the airport after Donyi-Polo.
Civil Aviation Minister Nakap Nalo while moving the resolution, informed the House that the decision was taken to “reflect the indigenous people’s reverence for the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) symbolizing the age-old tradition and rich cultural heritage of the tribal State”.
Built over an area of 685 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 660 crore, the airport is suitable for operation of Airbus-320 type of aircraft. It can accommodate 300 passengers during peak hours with eight check-in counters.
Once commissioned, the facility will be the first in the state with a runway of 2,300m, suitable for landing and take-off of Boeing 747. With an area of 4,100 sq mtr, the airport will be equipped with all modern facilities for passengers, the AAI had said.
