🇮🇳 Bhatinda Air Force Station Airport

Bhatinda Air Force Station (IATA: BUP, ICAO: VIBT) is a military and public airport located in Bhisiana, Bathinda district, Punjab, India, approximately 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) north-west of Bathinda city,.

Type of Facility and Operations: It functions as a civil enclave within the Bhisiana Air Force Station, owned by the Indian Air Force and operated by the Airports Authority of India for commercial flights. The Indian Air Force provides air traffic control and emergency services. The airport has one asphalt/concrete runway, 13/31, measuring 2,804 meters (9,199 feet) in length,,. The civil terminal, built at a cost of ₹25 crore (US$2.6 million), has a capacity for 100 passengers.

Notable Features or History: The Bhisiana Air Force Station was built in 1975, initially as the No. 10 Forward Base Support Unit (FBSU),. Its status was upgraded to a wing on February 18, 1980, becoming the 34th Wing of the No. 108 Squadron IAF,. The Indian Air Force allowed private, charter, and government flights from the base starting in 1980. A civil enclave was inaugurated on December 11, 2016, with Alliance Air commencing civilian flight operations to Delhi under the UDAN Scheme. The Indian Army also deploys aviation units here, and on June 18, 2024, received one of two Drishti-10 Starliner UAVs based at the station.

Current Status: As of September 2023, FlyBig restarted flight operations from the airport to Ghaziabad and later to Dehradun, after Alliance Air suspended operations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,. Current airlines and destinations include Alliance Air to Delhi and FlyBig to Ghaziabad. The airport is open to the public.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, thepilotsdesk.com, bharat-rakshak.com, skyvector.com, globalsecurity.org*