Safdarjung Airport
Encyclopedia
Safdarjung Airport also (Safdarjung Air Force Station) 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 airport in 1929, when was the India's second airport 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 was 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 late 1960s, as it could not support the new bigger aircraft such as jet aircraft
.
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 . Today it is mostly used for VVIP helicopter rides to the Indira Gandhi International Airport
including the President and the PM. The 190 acres the airport complex, has Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan
its grounds, which houses the Ministry of Civil Aviation
as well as the headquarters of the Airports Authority of India
(AAI).
flight landed here on November 30, 1918. Also in the same year, the first London-Delhi-Cairo flight landed here. However it took another decade for complete airport infrastructure to come up, when the first commercial flight landed in 1927. In the following year, Willingdon Airfield became officially became 'Willingdon Airport' and Delhi Flying Club was established.
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, of the Indian Medical Service and the Regimental Medical Officer of the 152 (Indian) Parachute Battalion also earned his wings.
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 around the 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. 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 overs 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, and all Delhi Flying Club (DFC) flights were shifted to Hisar, Haryana. 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 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. 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. and occasionally by Airport Authority of India, and Helicopter service company, Pawan Hans
. Plans to build a tunnel from 7, Race Course Road, PM residence to the airport have been opposed by the aviation ministry.
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 an 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 barrier
s between the main tarmac and temporary parking area.
Its nearby residential areas are Jorbagh, Laxmibai Nagar
, INA Colony
which houses employees of Airport Authority, and Sarojini Nagar
.
, 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. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has its headquarters opposite of the airport.
, part of the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin
, when Captain Haddock
, Snowy
and Tintin
have a stop-over in India
, he departs from Willingdon Airfield (now Safdarjung Airport)
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, in the neighbourhood of the same name
Safdarjung (Delhi)
Safdarjung area consists of mainly two localities in South Delhi, namely Safdarjung Enclave and Safdarjung Development Area...
. Established during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, as Willingdon Airfield, it started operations as an airport in 1929, when was the India's second airport and Delhi’s only airport. It was used extensively during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as it was part of the South Atlantic air ferry route, and later during Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
. Once situated on the edge of Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
, today, it was 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 late 1960s, as it could not support the new bigger aircraft such as jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
.
The Delhi Flying Club was established here in 1928 with two de Havilland Moth
De Havilland Moth
The de Havilland Moths were a series of light aircraft, sports planes and military trainers designed by Geoffrey de Havilland. In the late 1920s and 1930s they were the most common civil aircraft flying in Britain and during that time every light aircraft flying in the UK was commonly referred to...
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 . Today it is mostly used for VVIP helicopter rides to the Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
including the President and the PM. The 190 acres the airport complex, has Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan
Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan
Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan is the corporate headquarters of Airports Authority of India . AAI which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and manages most of the airports in India. The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation is co-located in the same building...
its grounds, which houses the Ministry of Civil Aviation
Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, India is responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in India.-References:**...
as well as the headquarters of the Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
(AAI).
History
Willingdon Airfield, as it was first known, named after Lord Willingdon, the Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1931-196) was New Delhi’s first ‘airport’ was all but a couple of tents next to a grass expanse when the first airmailAirmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
flight landed here on November 30, 1918. Also in the same year, the first London-Delhi-Cairo flight landed here. However it took another decade for complete airport infrastructure to come up, when the first commercial flight landed in 1927. In the following year, Willingdon Airfield became officially became 'Willingdon Airport' and Delhi Flying Club was established.
In 1941, when the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
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
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
, Lt (later Col) AG Ranjaraj, MVC, of the Indian Medical Service and the Regimental Medical Officer of the 152 (Indian) Parachute Battalion also earned his wings.
Post-independence
Post-independence in 1947, Willingdon was renamed Safdarjung, after the Safdarjung's TombSafdarjung's Tomb
Safdarjung's Tomb is a garden tomb with a marble mausoleum in New Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style, and was described as "the last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture". The top storey of the edifice houses the Archaeological Survey of India...
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 around the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, is now much enlarged and known as Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
, where the passenger operations were shifted in 1962 due to an increase in traffic. It is still used for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
purposes and small propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
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
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
is the airport serving New Delhi; a much larger airport with three runways and overs sixty domestic and international carriers serving it.
In 2001, after 9/11 the Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs (India)
Ministry of Home Affairs , known as the Home Ministry or MHA, is an Indian government ministry. It is an interior ministry mainly responsible for the maintenance of Internal security and domestic policy.-Ministerial Team:...
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, and all Delhi Flying Club (DFC) flights were shifted to Hisar, Haryana. Since then, the airport is largely being used for VVIP helicopter transit to the Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
for security reasons and also to avoid blocking vehicular traffic during the process. Since 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. The airstrip is also used for small aircraft of state chief ministers such as those of Punjab and Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, making it to 80 to 90 helicopter movements every month. and occasionally by Airport Authority of India, and Helicopter service company, Pawan Hans
Pawan Hans
Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited is a helicopter service company based in India. The operations are based at Vile Parle . Other than providing helicopter services to ONGC to its off-shore locations, this public sector company is often engaged for providing services to various state governments in...
. Plans to build a tunnel from 7, Race Course Road, PM residence to the airport have been opposed by the aviation ministry.
During the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, 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 an year long project, the NDMC
New Delhi Municipal Council
New Delhi Municipal Council is the municipal corporation of the city of New Delhi, India, and the area under its administration is referred to as the NDMC area. NDMC, covering an area of 43.7 km2, is governed by a council with a chairperson appointed by the central government and includes the...
undertook extensive renovation of the area, which included construction of new roads within the airport premises, and installation of jersey barrier
Jersey barrier
A Jersey barrier or Jersey wall is a modular concrete barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to both minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing crossover in the case of head-on accidents....
s between the main tarmac and temporary parking area.
Its nearby residential areas are Jorbagh, Laxmibai Nagar
Laxmibai Nagar
Laxmibai Nagar is a residential government colony in New Delhi, India. Laxmibai, meaning city of "Rani Lakshmibai", is named for the renowned freedom fighter queen of Jhansi province of Uttar Pradesh state of India...
, INA Colony
INA Colony
INA colony is a residential colony maintained by the Airports Authority of India for their employees. It was named after a former private airline, Indian National Airways, which was amongst those nationalised and merged to form, Indian Airlines in 1953....
which houses employees of Airport Authority, and Sarojini Nagar
Sarojini Nagar
Sarojini Nagar is a neighbourhood in South West Delhi district of Delhi, India. The area is one of the most developed and cleanest areas in Delhi and is popular because of its market. It was one of the sites of the 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings. It is close to Safdarjung Airport, starting 2010,...
.
Facilities
The headquarters of the Airports Authority of IndiaAirports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
, which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation
Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, India is responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in India.-References:**...
and manages most of the airports in India, and the ministry itself is located in Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan
Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan
Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan is the corporate headquarters of Airports Authority of India . AAI which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and manages most of the airports in India. The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation is co-located in the same building...
on the grounds of the airport. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has its headquarters opposite of the airport.
Accidents and incidents
- On 5 December 1970, Douglas DC-3 VT-CZC of Jamair crashed shortly after take-off, following an engine failure. The aircraft was operating a non-scheduled passenger flight. Five of the sixteen people on board were killed.
- Sanjay GandhiSanjay GandhiSanjay Gandhi was an Indian politician. The younger son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi, he was a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family...
died in an air crash on 23 June 1980 near Safdarjung Airport in New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. He was flying a new aircraft of the Delhi Flying club, and, while performing a loop over his office, lost control and crashed. The only passenger in the plane, Captain Subhash Saxena, was also killed in the plane crash.
Popular culture
In Tintin in TibetTintin in Tibet
Tintin in Tibet is the twentieth title in the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin, written and drawn by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Originally serialised from September 1958 in the French language magazine named after his creation, Le Journal de Tintin, it was then first published in book...
, part of the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, when Captain Haddock
Captain Haddock
Captain Archibald Haddock is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé...
, Snowy
Snowy (character)
Snowy is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. He is a white Wire Fox Terrier and Tintin's four-legged companion who travels everywhere with him...
and Tintin
Tintin (character)
Tintin is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. Tintin is the protagonist of the series, a reporter and adventurer who travels around the world with his dog Snowy....
have a stop-over in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, he departs from Willingdon Airfield (now Safdarjung Airport)
External links
- Safdarjung Airport at Airports Authority of IndiaAirports Authority of IndiaThe Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
(AAI)