Haryana government has decided to extend five existing airstrips in five aerodromes of the state.

While Hisar Airport is being developed as international Aviation hub and would be extended to 9000 feet, the other four airstrips at Karnal, Pinjore, Bhiwani and Narnaul would be extended up to 5000 feet.

While stating this on Wednesday, a spokesman of the Civil Aviation Department said that to take maximum advantages of booming opportunities in the Civil Aviation sector, the government has decided to extend existing airstrips in five aerodromes of the state.

He said that the four airstrips at Karnal, Pinjore, Bhiwani and Narnaul would be extended upto 5000 feet to accommodate medium sized aircrafts for various activities like parking, sub-basing, flying training as well as adventure sports for which the department had already published an expression of interest.

The spokesman said that work was already underway at Hisar airport which would be ready for domestic flights under the regional connectivity scheme of the Union government by end of July 2018 as part of phase -1 of its development.

The airstrip at Hisar would be extended to 9000 feet along with state of the art landing facilities at end of next year to accommodate larger aircraft for parking, basing and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) activities envisaged in phase –II of its development, he added. The spokesman said that the land for extending the airstrips was being procured purely on voluntary basis and there was no question of discrimination or coercion in the matter.

He said that 280 acres of land had been notified by the civil aviation department on thee-bhoomi portal of the state government under the policy for purchase of land voluntary offered to government for development projects.

Under the two objectives of the policy, the farmers were assured of approaching the government as a potential buyer for its projects and the government could elicit if some landowners would be so keen about the benefits of a particular project that they would be willing to sell their land to the government for it.