Hubballi airport’s new terminal project misses Jan deadline, pushed to June

Pic: According to officials, the new terminal work was delayed due to multiple factors, such as logistical and execution challengesHubballi: The deadline for completion of the new terminal building at Hubballi Airport has been extended from January to June. The Airport Director has directed the contracting company to complete and hand over the international-standard facility within the revised timeline.The Airports Authority of India sanctioned Rs 300 crore for the project, which was awarded to Nashik-based company, with an initial completion target of 2024. Officials said the work was delayed due to multiple factors, including logistical and execution challenges. The new terminal is expected to enhance passenger handling capacity and infrastructure once completed.According to the source, currently, 80% of the building work was complete. The new terminal building will include four new aerobridges, one commercially important person (CIP) lounge, one executive lounge, eight escalators (four of which are security hold areas) and two VIP lounges. The airport terminal is 3,600sqm and had a total capacity of 500 passengers. Now a new terminal of 19,400 sq m is being built and will have the capacity to handle the arrival and departure of 2,400 passengers at a time.Currently, 3 Airbus aircraft and 4 ATR aircraft can arrive at the same time, and the new terminal can additionally accommodate 7 Airbus aircraft at a time. An apron with a capacity of 10 Airbus and 4 ATR series aircraft, 14 aircraft, is undergoing construction.Hubli Airport director Rupesh Kumar told TOI that the work on the new terminal building is currently 80% complete and the work is progressing at full speed. Other works, including the new aerobridge escalator, CIP lounge, VIP lounge, executive lounge, lift and others, are pending and the contractors have been instructed to complete and hand over the works by June 30.For the first time after Bengaluru and Mangaluru in the state, an executive lounge is being built in the new terminal. In the new terminal, the travellers will be able to get new facilities like aerobridge escalator, lift, CIP, DIGI Yatra App service at the airport for the first time.