Safdarjung Airport

Safdarjung Airport
सफदरजंग हवाई अड्डा
Saphadarajaṅga Havāī Aḍḍā

Terminal building of Safdarjung Airport
IATA: none – ICAO: VIDD
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Airports Authority of India
Location Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi
Elevation AMSL 705 ft / 215 m
Coordinates 28°35′04″N 077°12′21″E / 28.58444°N 77.20583°E / 28.58444; 77.20583Coordinates: 28°35′04″N 077°12′21″E / 28.58444°N 77.20583°E / 28.58444; 77.20583
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12/30 4,520 1,378 Asphalt

Safdarjung Airport (IATA: N/A, ICAO: VIDD) is an airport in New Delhi, India, in the neighbourhood of the same name. Established during the British Raj as Willingdon Airfield, it started operations as an aerodrome in 1929, when it was India's second airport after the Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai and Delhi's only airport. It was used extensively during the World War II as it was part of the South Atlantic air ferry route, and later during Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Once situated on the edge of Lutyens' Delhi, today, it has the entire city of New Delhi around it. It remained the city's main airport till 1962, when operation shifted to Palam Airport completely by the late 1960s, as it could not support the new bigger aircraft such as jet aircraft.[1][2]

The Delhi Flying Club was established here in 1928 with two de Havilland Moth aircraft named ‘Delhi’ and ‘Roshanara’. The airport functioned until 2001, however in January 2002, due to security considerations in the post 9/11 scenario, the government closed the airport for flying activities, the club only carries out aircraft maintenance courses today .[3] Today it is mostly used for VVIP helicopter rides to the Indira Gandhi International Airport including the President and the PM.[4] The 190 acre airport complex,[4] has Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan on its grounds, which houses the Ministry of Civil Aviation as well as the headquarters of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

History

Willingdon Airfield, as it was first known, named after Lord Willingdon, the Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1931–36). As New Delhi's first airport, it initially used grass runways and tents. The first airmail flight arrived on November 30, 1918. Also in the same year, the first London-Cairo-Delhi flight landed. It took another decade for complete airport infrastructure to come up, when the first commercial flight landed in 1927. In 1928, Willingdon Airfield was renamed 'Willingdon Airport' and Delhi Flying Club was established.[1]

In 1941, when the British Indian Army decided to raise its own airborne/parachute units, the southwest corner of the airport served as the site where the Air Landing School (ALS) of the Royal Indian Air Force was located and started operations. It was here the first paratroopers in India were trained, which included the first Indian paratrooper, Lt (later Col) AG Ranjaraj, MVC, (Indian Medical Service and the Regimental Medical Officer of the 152 (Indian) Parachute Battalion) and earned their wings.

Post-independence

Safdarjung Airport, Airports Authority of India.

Post-independence in 1947, Willingdon was renamed Safdarjung, after the Safdarjung's Tomb which serves as a backdrop to the airport. It served as Delhi's main airport for over two decades, until a new site was chosen in west Delhi, known as Palam, then on city's outskirts, giving its Palam Airport. Palam Airport, started as RAF Station Palam, during World War II, is now much enlarged and known as Indira Gandhi International Airport, where the passenger operations were shifted in 1962 due to an increase in traffic.[5] It is still used for general aviation purposes and small propeller planes take off and land from the airport. However, planes are cautioned when landing, since the airport is situated right next to a flyover highway. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the airport serving New Delhi; a much larger airport with three runways and over sixty domestic and international carriers serving it.

In 2001, after 9/11 the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to use the airport as the emergency getaway for the President and the PM. Thereafter in 2002, for security considerations, the government closed the airport for all public flying activities,[3] and all Delhi Flying Club (DFC) flights were shifted to Hisar Airport.[6] Since then, the airport is largely being used for VVIP helicopter transit to the Indira Gandhi International Airport for security reasons and also to avoid blocking vehicular traffic during the process. Since the early 2000s, when going on foreign trip, the PM receives his send-offs from his cabinet members and other dignitaries here, instead of the main airport.[7] The airstrip is also used for small aircraft of state chief ministers such as those of Punjab and Haryana, making it to 80 to 90 helicopter movements every month.[8] and occasionally by Airport Authority of India, and Helicopter service company, Pawan Hans. Plans to build a tunnel from 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, PM residence to the airport have been opposed by the aviation ministry.[4][9]

During the 2010 Commonwealth Games, it was used as a park-and-ride facility, for parking of vehicles for those going to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Spread over 1,70,000 sq.m., the parking area could accommodate 3000 cars, 6000 two-wheelers and 450 buses of the shuttle service bus. In a year-long project, the NDMC undertook extensive renovation of the area, which included construction of new roads within the airport premises, and installation of jersey barriers between the main tarmac and temporary parking area.[10]

Its nearby residential areas are Jorbagh, Laxmibai Nagar, INA Colony which houses employees of Airport Authority, and Sarojini Nagar.

In 2002, for security reasons, the government closed the airport for all public flying activities,[3] and all Delhi Flying Club flights were shifted to Hisar Airport.[6]

Facilities

The headquarters of the Airports Authority of India, which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and manages most of the airports in India, and the ministry itself is located in Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan on the grounds of the airport.[11] The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi has its Delhi liaison office in the administrative block of the airport.[12]

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has its headquarters opposite of the airport.[13]

There is a proposed special link from Prime Minister residence,7 RCR to Safadarjung Airport.[14][15] Safdarjung airport serves as a conduit for flying VVIPs to Indira Gandhi International Airport when they travel out of Delhi.

Accidents and incidents

Popular culture

Safdarjung Airport is the setting for part of The Adventures of Tintin comic, Tintin in Tibet, by Hergé. Tintin, Snowy, and Captain Haddock have a stop-over in India, and they depart from Willingdon Airfield (now Safdarjung Airport).

References

  1. 1 2 "They flew over the new Capital". Hindustan Times. September 23, 2011.
  2. ↑ "End of the road". Mint (newspaper). Oct 15, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "Mecca for young aviators". Hindustan Times. September 23, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ministries in row over Safdarjung Airport land". The Times of India. Apr 13, 2011.
  5. ↑ "First airfield, first airport, and now the Capital's green lungs - Hindustan Times". April 28, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
  6. 1 2 "Safdarjung airport flies into history". The Times of India. Apr 5, 2003.
  7. ↑ "Sonia leads party to PM send-off". The Telegraph (Kolkata). July 30, 2004.
  8. ↑ "Now park-and-ride facility at Safdarjung airport". The Hindu. Jun 24, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Need to abolish airport tax". The Tribune. July 4, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Park-&-ride facility opened at Safdarjung". The Times of India. September 26, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Contact Information Search." Airports Authority of India. Retrieved on 9 September 2010. "Airports Authority of India, Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi - 110003"
  12. ↑ "Contact Address." Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi. Retrieved on 20 February 2012. "Head Office: Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi Fursatganj Airfield CSM Nagar 229302 U.P. INDIA" and "Liaison Office at Delhi: Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi Admin Block, Safdarjung Airport New Delhi - 110 003 INDIA"
  13. ↑ Home page Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India). Retrieved on 9 June 2009. "Aurbindo Marg, Opp. Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi 110 003, INDIA"
  14. ↑ Watch Video: Secret tunnel for PM Modi from 7 RCR to airport
  15. ↑ Special tunnel being built for Narendra Modi from 7 RCR to Safdarjung airport
  16. ↑ "1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-91974 to 42-110188)". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  17. ↑ "VT-CZC Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  18. ↑ "Air tragedies not new for political leaders". The Times of India. September 2, 2009.

External links

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