LEH: In a significant development, the centre government is gearing up to open the Thoise airbase in the Nubra region in Ladakh for commercial flights as it has invited bids to build a new civilian terminal building there.
Located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, this move is seen as a massive statement from India, which is now into its fourth year of confrontation in the region with Chinese troops.
While Ladakh’s only commercial airport is in Leh, Thoise, which is in Nubra region, mainly sees defence charters from commercial airlines, but that is soon going to change as the government now seeks to build a civilian enclave there that will handle commercial flights regularly at this high-altitude base.
The government on Saturday invited bids to appoint a consultant for the coming up of a new integrated passenger terminal at Thoise, at the estimated cost of Rs 130 crore.
As per the bid document, a centrally air-conditioned Domestic Passenger Terminal Building with an area of 5,300 Sqm is expected to come up at Thoise.
“The building is to be provided with aesthetically appealing and soothing interior decoration matching the modern structure and depicting local architecture, culture, art and heritage. A detailed passenger survey will also be carried out to assess the airport’s catchment area and passenger Profile in terms of demographics, purpose of travel, spending behaviour, preferences, profession and income group,” the bid document has mentioned.
The government had sanctioned 28 kanals of land on which the terminals and other allied infrastructure for civilian flights will be coming up.
Once completed, this will be the second civilian airport in Ladakh.
The Thoise airport in Nubra was available for bidding under the RCS-UDAN scheme. However, during recent rounds, no routes connecting Thoise airport were awarded due to the lack of bids from airlines.
A month ago, Member of Parliament from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, approached a private airline SpiceJet Limited, seeking support to operate civil flights in the remote Kargil and Nubra Valleys in Ladakh with the aim is to improve lives in these areas and boost tourism and rural economy of the people in Ladakh.
Emphasizing the potential for airlines to provide services based on demand and commercial viability, MP Namgyal had met Ajay Singh, the Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet Limited, discussing possibilities to operate civil flights to Kargil and Nubra Valleys.
Namgyal had appealed to SpiceJet’s CMD Ajay Singh to consider operating civil flights to Thoise in Nubra Valley as well to improve lives in these areas and boost tourism and rural economy of the people in Union Territory of Ladakh.
