Darbhanga airport plans to expand security hold area

PATNA: The Darbhanga airport will soon have more space to cater to the needs of increasing flyers. A temporary structure like canopy, porta cabin or pre-fabricated structure will be put on both sides to expand the security hold area (SHA) with a view to decongest the terminal building.
A plan to set up temporary structure has been sent to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for its approval. Earlier on November 29, the AAI, on the instruction of the ministry of aviation, asked 15 airports, including regional airports like at Darbhanga, to work on decongesting the terminal building to mitigate passenger inconvenience while looking at the three main issues of infrastructure, flight timings and workforce.Suggestions were also given to increase the duration of flight operations and change in flights timing to avoid bunching of aircraft.
Darbhanga airport director Manish Kumar said the AAI officials and security personnel during the airport security committee meeting decided to put up a temporary structure on both sides of the terminal building to enhance the SHA capacity and manage the crowd at peak hours.
“We will start work as soon as the AAI approves the proposal. This temporary arrangement is a short-term plan to decongest the terminal building. I have also asked the airlines and security personnel to allow the passengers inside the terminal building almost two hours before the boarding time to avoid chaotic situation in the SHA. Chairs have been put outside the terminal so that flyers who reached early can wait there,” Kumar said.
The airport has also requested to increase the flight operation hour time from 9am to 5pm from the existing 10.45am to 4.30pm.
The director told this newspaper on Wednesday that the Indian Air Force is likely to hand over 2.4 acre land to the AAI for the expansion of the existing terminal building. “We are hopeful that the process for the transfer of land will be done by December-end, following which construction work may begin. Expansion of the existing civil enclave is a medium-term plan. And for the long-term plan, a big terminal and other amenities will come up over 78 acre land, which we are likely to get in the next 5-6 months,” Kumar said.
The new civil enclave will be constructed over 54 acre land and will include the terminal building, cargo, multi-level car parking, fire station and other auxiliary buildings and a 24-acre plot for installation of CAT I.