HALWARA, May 21 — Flight operations have officially commenced at Halwara Airport following a 54.67 crore rupee infrastructure investment by the state government, signaling a new phase of economic development and regional connectivity for Punjab.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, accompanied by AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, visited the newly operational terminal to review facilities and interact with passengers. During the visit, the Chief Minister declared his intention to formally approach the Union Government to name the facility after the iconic independence activist Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha.
The state government expects the domestic terminal to resolve long-standing transit challenges for the local business community while drawing fresh capital into the regional economy.
“Due to strenuous efforts of the Punjab Government, the airport has now been made operational,” Mann stated during his interaction with passengers. “The sole motive behind this move is to ensure that people of the state have access to safe, affordable and comfortable air travel.”
The development addresses a major infrastructure gap for local commerce, particularly for corporate travelers who previously depended entirely on surface transport to reach the national capital region.
“In the absence of direct flights to Delhi-NCR, people, especially industrialists, had to face immense inconvenience while travelling to the national capital by road,” Mann noted. “This not only caused undue harassment but also led to huge wastage of time, money and energy.”
The renaming proposal aligns with ongoing state initiatives to honor historical figures, following similar successful naming designations for the Mohali and Adampur air terminals. The Punjab Vidhan Sabha had previously adopted a unanimous resolution in March 2023 requesting the Union Government to designate the site as Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha International Airport.
“Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha laid down his life for the nation at the young age of just 19 years,” Mann said. “His supreme sacrifice inspired millions of people to fight against British imperialism.”
The Chief Minister affirmed that the martyr served as a personal inspiration for Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, noting that Sarabha had pursued aviation studies at Berkeley University before joining the freedom movement.
Looking toward future aviation infrastructure, the state administration is also finalizing plans to repurpose the existing Sahnewal airport infrastructure. The facility is slated to become a dedicated training academy to provide affordable flight instruction for aspiring pilots. Additional coordination with federal authorities is underway to optimize current flight schedules from Halwara to better serve the public.
