Prayagraj: Indian Air Force (IAF) will play a crucial role in organization of Mahakumbh 2025, one of the largest religious events in the world, which will be held in Prayagraj.
During the Kumbh Mela, Bamrauli Air Force Station will be prepared as a nodal center for 24×7 flight operations until February 28. The station will facilitate civil scheduled, non-scheduled and chartered flights. A CAT-II Instrument Landing System (ILS) has been installed at the station, which will ensure smooth flight operations even during poor visibility in the winter months.
Expansion of airport terminal
Indian Air Force has also contributed to the construction of the airport highway from Kaushambi and the four-lane Railway Overbridge (ROB) in Begum Bazaar. The Air Force provided land for the project and also relocated runway-12 for the construction.
Additionally, Indian Airports Authority (AAI) has been supported by Air Force in the expansion of the civil airport terminal.
For the first time during Kumbh Mela, night-time flight operations will take place at Prayagraj Airport. Air Traffic Control (ATC) granted approval for this, which means that flights will operate round the clock, instead of just during the day, as was previously the case. The ATC is under the control of Air Force.
Special flight operations
During Kumbh Mela, flights will be operating to and from over 23 cities, with more than 60 flights expected daily. To manage this increased traffic, Air Force has approved both day and night landings and take-offs.
The runway at the airport has been equipped with CAT-II lights, which will allow flights to land safely even during the night or in dense fog.
As of now, four airlines have released their flight schedules for the event. SpiceJet has started bookings for flights from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. IndiGo will operate flights to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Raipur, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Nagpur, and Chennai.
Alliance Air will offer flights from Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi, Jaipur, Jabalpur, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, and Bilaspur. Akasa Air has started services to Mumbai, and their flights will increase as the Kumbh approaches.
Currently, flights are available from Prayagraj Airport to eight cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Bilaspur, Hyderabad, Raipur, Lucknow, and Bhubaneswar. However, starting January 10, the number of flights will triple to accommodate more passengers.
Other facilities
Parking facilities for planes have been provided at 11 airports in four states, and this arrangement will be operational from January 13. The expansion of the airport with an investment of Rs 175 crore is expected to be completed by December 31.
The terminal building will have a passenger capacity of 850, and 15 aircraft will be able to park at the same time. Additionally, the airport will have a parking capacity for 400 cars.
Wing Commander Sameer Gangkhedkar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, said that the Indian Air Force would provide full support during the Kumbh Mela. The 24-hour flight operations at the airport have been approved by ATC, and the Air Force is ready to assist with the large number of devotees expected to arrive in Prayagraj.
