The Indian government has engaged Air India (AI, Delhi International) over the proposed launch of scheduled passenger flights to the Indian Air Force (IFC, Delhi International) air base of Adampur, located in northern Punjab, just 97 kilometres from the Pakistani frontier.
The Times of India reports talks between the sides will reconvene next month with a formal decision expected thereafter. The IAF recently granted its consent to the use of the base for civilian flights.
However, as India's second largest military airbase, heavy security precautions are in place. Indian Minister of Defense, Manohar Parikkar, has warned that any unauthorized persons attempting to violate the base's environs risked being shot.
Meanwhile, Air India has cancelled the only scheduled flights operated from/to Durgapur's Kazi Nazrul Islam airport as of June 17 only six months after launching services to the city located in the state of West Bengal for "operational reasons". It had operated a 3x weekly A319 service from Kolkata via Durgapur to Delhi International. The Millenium Post quotes "insiders" as saying that the route was not commercially viable.
