Assembly Adopts Resolution To Re-Name Hollongi Airport

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution for naming the Hollongi greenfield airport near here, as Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar. The approval to name the facility as 'Donyi Polo Airport Itanagar' was given by the state government during a cabinet meeting on August 4.

Moving the resolution, State Civil Aviation Minister Nakap Nalo informed the House that the decision was taken to reflect the reverence of the indigenous people for the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) symbolising an age-old tradition and rich cultural heritage of the tribal state. The House unanimously adopted the resolution to take up the naming of the airport with the Union Government.

Developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) with an estimated cost of Rs 645 crore, the airport, located at Hollongi near here, is designed to be a greenfield airport with eight check-in counters and can accommodate 200 passengers during peak hours of the day. Hollongi is about 15 kilometres from state capital Itanagar. At present, there is no airport in the vicinity of the state capital, the closest one being Lilabari Airport in Assam's North Lakhimpur district, at a distance of 80 km from here. Once commissioned, the airport will be the first in the state with a runway of 2,300 metres, suitable for the landing and take-off of Boeing 747, one of the largest passenger aircraft. With an area of 4,100 sqm, the airport is going to be equipped with all modern facilities for passengers. The terminal is an energy efficient building with rainwater harvesting system and sustainable landscape.

The airport, which was scheduled to be inaugurated on August 15 to mark India's 75th Independence Day, has been postponed due to non-receipt of flight schedule from DGCA. Now it is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October this year, sources at the state civil aviation department informed.

All the major civil constructions like the runway, air traffic control (ATC) tower, (interim) terminal building, are complete. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has facilitated inspection by various regulatory authorities and successfully conducted flight calibrations and test landing of aircraft last month, the sources added.

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