Ajay Kumar at 19:50, 30 August 2023

2023-08-30T19:50:20Z

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{{Short description|Airport of Meghalaya, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Baljek Airport
| nativename =
| nativename-r =
| IATA =
| ICAO = VETU
| pushpin_map = India Meghalaya#India
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| pushpin_label = '''VETU'''
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in Meghalaya
| type = Public
| operator = [[Government of Meghalaya]]
| city-served = [[Tura, India|Tura]], [[Meghalaya]], India
| metric-elev = y
| metric-rwy = y
| location = Baljek
| elevation-m = 536
| elevation-f = 1,760
| coordinates = {{coord|25|39|41|N|90|20|42|E|display=inline,title}}
| website =
| r1-number = 16/34
| r1-length-m = 1,006 
| r1-length-f = 3,300
| r1-surface =
}}

'''Baljek Airport''' {{airport codes||VETU}} (also known as '''Tura Airport''') is a public airport located at Baljek, {{convert|33|km|abbr=on}} North-east of [[Tura, India|Tura]] in [[Meghalaya]], [[India]].

The proposal for the airport was sent to the Central Government in 1983 and the project was sanctioned in 1995. The airport was inaugurated in October 2008.<ref name = "TT1">{{cite news|title=President opens Baljek Airport- Thousands turn up for maiden touchdown |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081024/jsp/northeast/story_10010972.jsp |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140113184521/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081024/jsp/northeast/story_10010972.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 January 2014 |newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] |date= 28 October 2008 |access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref> It was built at a cost of Rs 12.52 crore and was initially designed to handle 20 seater aircraft like the [[Dornier 228]].

The [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI) is developing the airport for operation of [[ATR 42]]/[[ATR 72]] type of aircraft.<ref>{{cite news|title=Better Air Connectivity for NE Region |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=95050 |publisher=[[Press Information Bureau]] |date= 25 April 2013 |access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref> The 3,300 foot runway will be extended by another 1,200 feet.<ref>{{cite news|title=AAI plans to invest Rs 200 cr on airports in Meghalaya |url=http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20070701/702280.html |publisher=Webindia123|date= 1 July 2007 |access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref> A total of 58 acres of additional land was acquired at a cost of Rs 2.58 crore to aid the expansion of the airport.<ref>{{cite news|title=Land acquired for Baljek Airport project |url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=dec2113/oth05 |newspaper=[[The Assam Tribune]] |date=20 December 2013 |access-date=13 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114002942/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=dec2113%2Foth05 |archive-date=14 January 2014 }}</ref>

No scheduled commercial air service are available at the Baljek Airport at this time. The nearest airport is [[Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport|Guwahati Airport]] which is approx. 180 KM from Tura and it is said to be operating by the end of 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-04 |title=Baljek Airport to be made operational by 2022, says CM |url=https://theshillongtimes.com/2021/03/04/baljek-airport-to-be-made-operational-by-2022-says-cm/ |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=The Shillong Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Airports in India}}

[[Category:Airports in Meghalaya]]
[[Category:Tura, Meghalaya]]
[[Category:2008 establishments in Meghalaya]]
[[Category:Airports established in 2008]]

Baljek Airport - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 19:50, 30 August 2023