Bilaspur Airport
| Bilaspur Airport बिलासपुर हवाई अड्डा Bilāsapura Havāī Aḍḍā | |||||||||||
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| IATA: PAB – ICAO: VEBU | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Location | Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 899 ft / 274 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°59′18″N 82°06′40″E / 21.98833°N 82.11111°ECoordinates: 21°59′18″N 82°06′40″E / 21.98833°N 82.11111°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  PAB Location of airport in India | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Bilaspur Airport (IATA: PAB, ICAO: VEBU) is located at the village of Chakarbhatta, 10 km south of Bilaspur, in the state of Chhattisgarh, India. It is owned by the Airports Authority of India. It is currently being used for general aviation and pilot training.[1]
The Indian Army intends to take over the airport and establish a training facility for the special forces. The existing para-military commando training facility at Nahan, Himachal Pradesh is to be shifted to Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.[2][3] The Army wants use of the entire airport while AAI has made a “conditional offer” of parting with 377 acres while retaining 56 acres for a civil enclave.[4]
There are two additional airstrips on Kota Road/Mohanbhata and Mulmula - that have been lying unused since the Second World War. These are under the Defense Ministry. - Mohanbhatha, Chhattisgarh 495112, Coordinates: 22.242859, 82.026388 - Mulmula, Chhattisgarh Coordinates: 21°56'44.0"N 82°20'42.6"E
Structure
Elevation of the airfield is 276 meters above mean sea level. Runway 17/35 is 1535 meters long and 25 meters wide with turning pads at both ends. A 630 meter long taxiway connects the runway to a small Helipad cum apron.
The runway is small for commercial aircraft like Boeing 737 and Airbus A 320, which need a 2,090 mt. (6,860 ft.) takeoff distance. This means low cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet, which use a single plane type, cannot serve the airport unless the runway is upgraded.
References
- ↑ "Sai Flytech Aviation Academy". www.minglebox.com. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ↑ "Helicopters recalled from UN duty to combat Naxals". Deccan Herald. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ↑ Dholabhai, Nishit (5 August 2010). "Special forces school shift". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph (Kolkata). Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ↑ "AAI has a list of grouses with Army". The Asian Age. 18 September 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
External links
- Airport information for VABI at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.