Shillong, September 24: Recently, there has been a spurt of newspaper articles on the need for commercial air link in the North East region and an impression seems to have gained in the minds of people that Indian Air Force is not facilitating it.
This is not based on facts. Pan India, IAF has always facilitated civil air operations from its bases. In the NE region also, IAF airfields at Bagdora, Tezpur, Jorhat and Kumbhirgram are already supporting commercial connectivity.
At Kumbhirgram, facilities like runway, airfield lighting and all critical navigation aids such as ILS, VOR and DME, are controlled by Airport Authority of India (AAI) and not the IAF. Subject to availability of these facilities, IAF is always willing to accommodate civil operations, even beyond its routine watch hours.
Many Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) are either being revived or extended by the IAF in Arunachal Pradesh. ALGs at Zero, Passighat, Along and Mechuka are ready for operations by IAF and civil operators.
However, the stumbling blocks for civil air operations have been the lack of civil passenger handling infrastructure which needs to be created by the state government or AAI, and clearances from MoCA/AAI/DGCA. IAF always encourages civil airlines operations from all its bases in the North East.
