By staff reporter
Dehradun, 15 Feb: A day after inaugurating a new terminal building at the Jolly Grant airport, here, the Centre on Thursday announced that India’s first helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) would start from AIIMS Rishikesh for Uttarakhand.
An announcement to this effect was made by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in New Delhi. “We are starting the country’s first HEMS for Uttarakhand from AIIMS Rishikesh. In case there is an emergency or accident within 150 km, the victims will be airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh from a helicopter which will be stationed there,” Scindia said.
With the inauguration of the new terminal building on 14 February, the Jolly Grant airport’s journey virtually made a new beginning.
Regular flights from the Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun began in 2004 when it was connected with New Delhi and two other cities.
Today, the airport is connected with 13 cities in the country thanks to its expansion by the Centre. The airport serves 10 lakh passengers annually.
In 2014, there were 46 flights from the Jolly Grant airport. And now, the airport is operating over 200 flights, registering a growth of 130 percent.
Besides Jolly Grant, Pantnagar and Pithoragarh airports are also being upgraded. “Today, the number of airports in Uttarakhand has increased to three and the number of heliports has gone up to seven,” said Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Sahastradhara in Dehradun, Almora, Chinyalisaur, Gauchar, New Tehri, Srinagar and Haldwani are among seven heliports which have been developed, so far.
He said the central government is determined to expand the civil aviation sector in the hill state. The centre would set up 11 more heliports in the state in future, Scindia said.
The centre is spending Rs 486 crore for the expansion of two terminals in the Jolly Grant Airport with a total overall area of 42,776 sqm.
Under the major expansion programme at Jolly Grant, the airport will have a runway length of 2140m and an apron with 20 parking bays.
