The aviation industry will strengthen once the domestic flights commence from the Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar airstrip of Partapur. The work on the airstrip has started and it is expected to be ready in the next six months.
Meerut District Magistrate Anil Dhingra has received a letter from the government in this regard. As per the plan, flights for about a dozen cities would start from here by December this year. A training centre to fly small aircraft will also be set up.
This will boost trade and tourism of Meerut as well as neighbouring districts, such as Khurja of Bulandshahar which is famous for pottery. The air traffic is increasing by 16 per cent annually.
The administration has completed all the formalities to start the training centre, said DM Dhingra, adding that they are following all directions issued by the government in this regard.
A set of instructions was issued by the secretary Dr Satya Prakash to the DM in which he mentioned that 10 hectares land has been purchased by the government from the farmers now the authorities concerned should take possession.
At present, Partapur airstrip is 1,500-metre long and 18 metre wide. It has to be upgraded to 2,100 metres in length and 30 metre in width. For this, 34.93 hectares of land had been acquired by the government and a boundary wall erected.