Now Reading: Ladakh targets Thoise commercial flights by December, Kargil later
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Ladakh targets Thoise commercial flights by December, Kargil later
Ladakh authorities are pushing to start commercial flights from Thoise in Nubra Valley by December this year, with Kargil to follow later. The Union territory currently has only one civilian airport, at…
Ladakh authorities are pushing to start commercial flights from Thoise in Nubra Valley by December this year, with Kargil to follow later. The Union territory currently has only one civilian airport, at Leh. At a meeting chaired by LG Vinai Kumar Saxena, the IAF approved five acres of land for a new civil terminal at Thoise, and runway recarpeting there is expected to be completed by November.
On Kargil, officials decided to first assess existing infrastructure and technical requirements for civilian flights from the airstrip currently used for defence operations. Officials from the defence ministry, IAF, Airports Authority of India and the UT administration attended the Friday meeting at Ladakh Bhavan in New Delhi. A government spokesperson said the meeting focused on resolving infrastructure and regulatory issues to enable civilian flights from strategically important airports.
Saxena emphasised that commercial flights would unlock tourism potential in Kargil, Drass, Turtuk and Siachen Base Camp, and improve accessibility for Nubra residents. In March, Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa and LAHDC-Kargil chief Mohd Jaffar Akhoon had sought civilian flights from Kargil from Union home minister Amit Shah, proposing small aircraft operations as an interim step.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Ladakh has only Leh as its civilian airport, forcing Nubra and Kargil residents to rely on long road journeys. The military-run airstrips at Thoise and Kargil have been used by the IAF for decades, and converting them for civilian use requires runway upgrades, terminal buildings, and security clearances from both the Defence Ministry and the Airports Authority of India. The December target is tight: runway recarpeting at Thoise must finish in November, and Kargil lacks even a feasibility assessment yet. The high-stakes user is the Army, which depends on these airstrips for supplies to Siachen and forward posts, civilian flights may need to share them without disrupting defence logistics. Next to watch: whether the Civil Aviation Ministry formally schedules a trial flight by December.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
