Safdarjung Airport located near Laxmibai Nagar and
INA Colony was established during the British Rule India and
was earlier known as Willingdon Airfield.
It started operations as an airport in 1929, when it was the India's
second airport and Delhi’s only airport. During World War II, it was used extensively as
part of the South Atlantic air ferry route.
It was also used during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. It was the city's main airport till 1962, after
which the operations shifted to Palam Airport.
The Delhi
Flying Club was
established here in 1928 with two de Havilland Moth aircraft named ‘Delhi’ and
‘Roshanara’. Post the 9/11 incident, due to security considerations
the Government closed the airport for all flying activities in Jan 2002, the club only
carries out aircraft maintenance courses today.
Today Safdurjung Airport is
mostly used as a helipad for helicopters ferrying VIP and VVIPs, like the
President of India and the Prime Minister to the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The
airport complex is spread in an area of 190 acres, which besides the airport houses the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, which has the Ministry of Civil Aviation as well as the
headquarters of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in its premises. One can have a view of this airport from the
Safdurjung Flyover.
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