No plan to operate old airport terminal for passengers: Govt

The Civil Aviation Ministry has clarified that there is no plan to make the old terminal building at Chandigarh Airport operational for passengers.

In reply to a question raised by city MP Manish Tewari in the Lok Sabha today, Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, stated: “Since the old terminal building at Chandigarh Airport has been repurposed for various functions, but, at present, there is no proposal to make the old terminal operational for passenger movement.”

Tewari had asked whether the government has any plans to make the old terminal operational again and if so, the details thereof along with the timelines fixed in this regard; and if not, the reasons for allowing the wastage of public resources to continue by keeping the renovated infrastructure idle.

Tewari also sought the details of total expenditure incurred by the government on reconstructing, renovating or refurbishing the building between 2010 and 2014.

The minister stated that the cumulative expenditure incurred by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on reconstructing, renovating, refurbishing or rebuilding the old terminal between 2010 and 2014 was Rs 43.86 crore.

Tewari further asked whether it was true that the extensively renovated old terminal had been lying virtually abandoned since the inauguration of the new terminal in September 2015, despite having facilities like immigration counters and customs infrastructure. The minster replied the old terminal building has been repurposed for various uses like housing of communication, navigation, and surveillance facilities; electrical, civil, finance, human resources and other administrative works of the AAI. Additionally, the Multi Aviation Training Institute, run by M/s. NSDC, operated from the old terminal from February 2018 to December 2022.

To a question raised by the MP about the amount of funds being spent every month by the AAI on maintenance and upkeep of the old terminal since it was shut down nine years ago, the minister replied that the average monthly expenditure incurred by authority on the maintenance and upkeep of the old terminal was Rs 12.92 lakh in 2015-16, Rs 12.42 lakh in 2016-17, Rs 11.92 lakh in 2017-18, Rs 12.58 lakh in 2018-19, Rs 10.42 lakh in 2019-20, Rs 4.92 lakh in 2020-21, Rs 5.08 lakh in 2021-22, Rs 4.83 lakh in 2022-23 and Rs 7 lakh in 2023-24.