Udhampur airport terminal building construction is very likely to start from the second week of August this year, thus paving the way for the much-awaited operationalisation of ATR (aircraft) flights from the garrison town, in the following couple of months.

Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, while sharing an update on Udhampur airport on his microblogging site, on Sunday maintained that the airport terminal building construction tender was already floated.

“Technical bid will open on July 10, 2026 and probable date for financial bid opening is July 22, 2026. The work may be awarded for construction of the terminal in the 2nd week of August,” Dr Jitendra shared.

ATR aircrafts are designed to take off and land on smaller runways, aimed at connecting smaller, regional cities. His latest update is a sequel to the information shared by him last month during a review meeting in Udhampur also.

“Udhampur (civil) airport will soon become operational. Immediately after the completion of the tendering process, which is presently underway. First terminal will be constructed on the land being provided by the Indian Air Force (IAF), thus allowing us to operate our ATR flights. Meanwhile, we have already spoken to the J&K government – the Chief Minister for additional land,” he had informed.

“Once we get that additional chunk of land on the other side of the road, there we will construct a permanent terminal. Then we can construct an airport analogous to Jammu (airport), allowing it to handle higher traffic volumes and larger (flight) operations. But it will take some time. As of now, for immediate use, IAF is providing us defence land for the time being, for the construction of the terminal. The tender for fabrication work had already been floated to start ATR flights from the existing premises in the next few months. The construction of the terminal will enable the landing of small aircrafts here,” Dr Jitendra had explained.

The process of land transfer, according to him, had also commenced with the concurrence of the UT government.

Last year, during a meeting aimed at reviewing the status of the aviation projects for J&K, with the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Samir Kumar Sinha and the Chairman of Airports Authority of India, Vipin Kumar, the Union Minister had emphasised that the Udhampur airport could initially begin operations with ATR 72-seater aircraft under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-UDAN), which would cap ticket fares at nearly half the prevailing market rates.

In other words, the air fare for a Delhi- Udhampur flight would be considerably and substantially lesser than a Delhi-Jammu flight, thus offering a huge incentive to even Jammu bound passengers to take the Delhi-Udhampur air route, the officials explained.

Officials had explained that under the ‘Udan’ scheme, a substantial part of the airfare would be subsidised through viability gap funding. This would not only make flights more affordable but also bring Delhi–Udhampur fares substantially lower than the Delhi–Jammu route.

During that meeting it was revealed that the Airports Authority of India had agreed to take up the required development, including navigational and basic facilities, without requiring additional land for initial operations, as the apron space would be made available by defence authorities.

On August 3, 2025, Dr Jitendra had maintained that Udhampur airport proposal was to be implemented in two phases.

In the first phase, civil flight operations will be initiated within the existing premises of the Air Force Station (AFS) while in the second phase, a permanent civil enclave will be set up outside it (AFS).

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had completed a site feasibility assessment and initiated formal processes for the development of a new Aviation Enclave.

The proposal, which aims to connect Udhampur to the national civil aviation network, was initially triggered by a reference from Dr Jitendra Singh to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Acting on this, a technical team comprising officials from various directorates of AAI had visited the Air Force Station at Udhampur on March 28 and 29, 2025. The visit included a joint review with the Indian Air Force, evaluation of existing infrastructure, and consultations with the district administration and defence authorities.

Under phase 1 of the project involving initiating civil flight operations within the existing premises of the Air Force Station, the IAF allocated 2,200 square metres for developing a terminal building, which will have the capacity to handle up to 150 passengers and accommodate ATR-72 or Q400 type aircraft. This arrangement is intended as an interim measure to begin operations at the earliest.

Phase 2 of the plan proposes the establishment of a permanent civil enclave outside the boundaries of the Air Force Station. A land parcel of approximately 27.6 acres has been identified by the district administration for this purpose.

The proposed enclave will cater to larger aircraft such as the Airbus A321 and will include a new terminal, apron, taxiway, and related civil aviation infrastructure.

Once realised, the Udhampur civil enclave is expected to improve connectivity for both residents and tourists in this part of Jammu and Kashmir, while also easing pressure on the Jammu airport. Besides, Udhampur airport will also have strategic importance from a security point of view.

Jammu, Jul 5: Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra on Sunday said the party has expanded its nationwide campaign against examination paper leaks to all 20 districts of the Union territory, and alleged that the Centre has failed to safeguard the future of students.

He said the Congress high command had announced 28 pilot campaigns across the country under this initiative last month, with Srinagar among the selected locations where the campaign was launched on July 2. “The programme is now being conducted across all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir,” Karra told reporters on the sidelines of the campaign in Bishnah, on the outskirts of Jammu.

Targeting the BJP-led Centre, Karra said a government which “could not protect donations made by devotees at temples” cannot be expected to be serious regarding issues such as education and repeated leak of examination papers. “If theft can take place in temples, then how can the theft of examination papers be considered surprising?” he said.

Questioning Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s continuation in office, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief said the party had repeatedly asked why he had not resigned despite the death of 21 students. “Now we understand why his conscience was unmoved. If they cannot safeguard temples, how can they be expected to safeguard education and the future of children?” Karra lashed out. He said the campaign involved both rural and urban units of Jammu district Congress, with large participation of the party’s senior leadership. He said the largest number of participants at the event were students, describing it as encouraging, as the issue of paper leaks directly concerns their future. Karra said, “Rahul Gandhi has provided us with an excellent platform. Through this platform, we want to visit every district, create awareness among students and motivate them to join this movement.” He asserted that the issue of paper leaks extends beyond examinations and has wider social implications. “This is not merely about paper leaks or whether someone qualifies or is disqualified in an examination. It has a broader societal dimension. There is a social aspect, a psychological aspect and a mental health aspect that perhaps our prime minister or Union education minister fail to understand,” he said.