Delinker at 12:45, 31 July 2023

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{{Short description|Airport in Chhattisgarh India}}{{More citations needed|date=July 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Bilaspur Airport
| image = File:Bilaspur Airport (Chakarbhata Airport) 5.4.2021.png
| caption =
| IATA = PAB
| ICAO = VEBU
| pushpin_map = India Chhattisgarh#India
| pushpin_relief = 1
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| pushpin_label = '''PAB'''
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in Chhattisgarh and India
| type = Public
| owner =
| operator = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| city-served = [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]], [[Korba, Chhattisgarh|Korba]], [[Raigarh]], [[Janjgir-Champa]], [[Anuppur]], [[Balaghat]]
| location = Chakarbhata, [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh]]
| opened = 1942
| elevation-f = 899
| elevation-m = 274
| coordinates = {{coord|21|59|18|N|82|06|40|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| website =
| metric-elev = y
| metric-rwy = y
| r1-number = 17/35
| r1-length-f = 5,035
| r1-length-m = 1,535
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt]]
| stat-year = March 2021 - April 2021
| stat1-header = Passenger movement
| stat1-data = 3170
| stat2-header = Aircraft movement
| stat2-data = 64
| footnotes =
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 10
}}

'''Bilaspur Airport''' {{Airport codes|PAB|VEBU}}, officially known as Bilasa Devi Kevat Airport, is located at Chakarbhatta, {{convert|10|km|spell=in}} south of [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]], in the [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Chhattisgarh]], India. It is owned by the [[Airports Authority of India]]. In 1980s, airport was used by [[Vayudoot]] to provide flights to Bhopal, Nagpur, Mumbai and Delhi. Currently commercial scheduled flight are operating from the airport to [[Delhi]], [[Jabalpur]], [[Prayagraj]].

==History==
Built in 1942 it opened as RAF Station Bilaspur [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), in the Central Provinces of British India. It was used as an airfield during World War II. It was used by No 267 Squadron, No 96 Squadron, No 10 Squadron and other units. It closed in 1945. After India was grant ed independence from Great Britain, the airfield was transferred to the Indian Government. The [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]] (DGCA) took control of the airport, followed by the [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]].

Bilaspur was associated with Nagpur, Aurangabad, Mumbai, Raipur, Bhopal in 1988 through [[Vayudoot]] service.

The [[Indian Army]] intends to take over the airport and establish a training facility for the special forces. The existing para-military commando training facility at Nahan, Himachal Pradesh is to be shifted to Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.<ref>{{cite news|title=Helicopters recalled from UN duty to combat Naxals |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/179344/helicopters-recalled-un-duty-combat.html |newspaper=[[Deccan Herald]] |date= 26 July 2010 |access-date=26 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Special forces school shift |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100805/jsp/frontpage/story_12774012.jsp |publisher=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)]] |date= 5 August 2010 |access-date=26 January 2012 |location=Calcutta, India |first=Nishit |last=Dholabhai}}</ref> The Army wants use of the entire airport while AAI has made a "conditional offer" of parting with 377 acres while retaining 56 acres for a [[civil enclave]].<ref>{{cite news|title=AAI has a list of grouses with Army |url=http://www.asianage.com/india/aai-has-list-grouses-army-327 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020140556/http://www.asianage.com/india/aai-has-list-grouses-army-327 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 October 2018 |publisher=[[The Asian Age]] |date=18 September 2010 |access-date=25 January 2012 }}</ref> On 7 December 2018 Bilaspur Airport got the commercial licence from [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)]] for operating (19 seater Aircraft 2C VFR category) commercial flights.On 27 January 2021 Bilaspur Airport got the commercial licence from <nowiki>[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)]]</nowiki> for operating (72 seater Aircraft 3C VFR category) commercial flights.

On 27 January 2021 Bilaspur Airport got the commercial licence from [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)]] for operating (72 seater Aircraft 3C VFR category) commercial flights.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bilaspur airport gets commercial flight license |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/bilaspur-airport-gets-706778.html |publisher=[[Deccan Herald]]}}</ref> On 2 February 2021, Union Civil Aviation Minister, [[Hardeep Singh Puri]] announced that commercial flight services will be operational from Bilaspur airport to Prayagraj, Delhi, Bhopal, Jabalpur from 1 March 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.patrika.com/raipur-news/bilaspur-delhi-new-flight-service-will-start-from-march-1-6676486/ |title=Bilaspur-Delhi air service will start from March 1, Union Civil Aviation Minister announced |publisher= [[Rajasthan Patrika]] |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref>

==Airfield==
Elevation of the airfield is 276 metres above mean sea level.

[[File:Alliance Air Aircraft at Bilaspur Airport 566836888.png|thumb|Alliance Air Aircraft at Bilaspur Airport]]

Runway 17/35 is 1,535 metres long and 30 metres wide with turning pads at both ends. A 630 metre long taxiway connects the runway to a small [[Helipad]] cum [[Airport ramp|apron]].

The runway is too small for commercial aircraft like Boeing 737 and Airbus A 320, which need a 2,190 metres in length and 45 metres in width (6,860 ft.) takeoff distance. This means many low-cost carriers like [[AirAsia India]] and [[GoAir]], which use a single plane type, cannot serve the airport unless the runway is upgraded.

==Airlines and destinations==

{{Airport destination list
|[[Alliance Air (India)|Alliance Air]] | [[Allahabad Airport|Allahabad]], [[Delhi Airport|Delhi]], [[Jabalpur Airport|Jabalpur]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Alliance Air Schedule|url=https://www.airindia.in/where-we-fly.htm|website=www.airindia.in|access-date=17 June 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Indefinite strike==

On 26 October 2019, numbers of local residents sat on an indefinite strike to protest against the Central and State Government for demanding Air connectivity in [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]] at a City Townhall named Raghvendra Rao Bhawan. Their demands were as follows: Bilaspur Should get a Full-fledged 4C Airport; Connectivity to Metro cities like [[Delhi]], [[Mumbai]], [[Bengaluru]]; Runway extension of the Airport in order to accommodate wide-bodied Aircraft in Bilaspur Airport.

As of March 2021. Bilaspur Airport has been operationalized for 3C operation and having 4X weekly flights to [[Delhi]] via [[Jabalpur]] and [[Allahabad]]. Local residents of Bilaspur district continuing their strike by asking for Airport up-gradation from 3C to 4C Category.

==Social media reaction==

People of Bilaspur started gathering on social media [[Twitter]] and start tweeting for Air connectivity in Bilaspur to tag twitter handles of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly of [[Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Bilaspur]] Constituency to draw their attention towards development of Bilaspur Airport and demand their action on it. A Social media group named "BAAC" (Bilaspur Airport Awareness Campaign) on Twitter led the hashtags related tweets of Bilaspur Airport and provide important information and updates regarding Bilaspur Airport to its followers.

==See also==
* [[Raipur Airport|Swami Vivekananda International Airport, Raipur]]
* [[Jagdalpur Airport]]
* [[Jharsuguda Airport]]
* [[List of airports in India]]
* [[List of the busiest airports in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{WAD|VABI}}
{{Airports in India}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Airports in Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Military airbases established in 1942]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in India]]

Bilaspur Airport - Revision history

Delinker at 12:45, 31 July 2023