The Kullu-Manali airport in Bhuntar is experiencing several technical issues in safety norms. The airport should have 40 m of space on both sides of the runway's centre line to meet the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) safety standards, but less on the right side. Floods in the Beas River, which flows next to the airport, have also caused damage. The airport's inspection committee has requested land from Himachal Pradesh's chief minister to make the airport safe and secure. On Saturday, Budhi Parkash, a member of the Kullu-Manali Airport Advisory Committee, wrote to the chief minister, pleading to speed up the land acquisition process so that the Bhuntar airport can meet minimum safety standards. The airport authority has been attempting to acquire land for expansion, but procedural issues with land acquisition have stymied their efforts. According to an official, the land next to the airport belongs to the forest department and can only be acquired after the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 has been completed. This process is now involving the state tourism department. Tourism department officials recently met with the director of the Kullu airport to discuss the land transfer process, requesting that the airport complete it in such a way that they only have to pay for compensatory afforestation and consultant fees. The director, on the other hand, informed them that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) does not bear land acquisition costs but will invest in land development after it is transferred to its name. The airport's runway is only 1,087 m long, making it unsuitable for large or mid-size planes. Planes land and take off with a load penalty to avoid colliding with the Larji hills, and they must land on the first attempt or risk colliding with the Bijli Mahadev temple and nearby hills. Only one plane lands at the airport each day, and the fare is extremely high, making it out of reach for most people. It is only used by high-end tourists or people in an emergency. Image Source