Sagar is a city in central Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region — a university town, home to one of central India’s oldest institutions of higher learning (Dr. Harisingh Gour University, founded 1946, now a Central University), and a district headquarters surrounded by the agricultural and forest landscape of the Vindhya ranges. Dhana Airport serves the Sagar region from a small airstrip in Dhana, a town in Sagar district approximately 17 kilometres from Sagar city. It carries the pseudo-ICAO code VA1J — not a standard four-letter ICAO registration — and no IATA code. It is not a public commercial airport in the standard sense. What Dhana Airport is, distinctively, is the home base of Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA) — a pilot training organisation that has transformed a state-government-owned airstrip into a functioning aviation training centre with Cessna 172s, a Piper Seneca, and a DA 42 multi-engine trainer, a 140 × 100-foot hangar, runway lighting installed by CAA itself, and a cafeteria and visitors lounge. Government VIP charter aircraft and medical evacuation flights also use the airfield.
Quick Overview: Dhana Airport
| Detail | Information |
| Airport Name | Dhana Airport / Dhana Airstrip |
| Location | Dhana, Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Serves | Sagar, Damoh, Khurai, Bina |
| Airport Type | State government-owned; operated on lease by Chimes Aviation Private Limited |
| IATA Code | Not Assigned |
| ICAO Code | VA1J (pseudo-ICAO; not a standard four-letter code) |
| Owner | Government of Madhya Pradesh |
| Operator | Chimes Aviation Private Limited (on lease) |
| Runway Designation | 17/35 |
| Runway Length | ~3,260 ft × 75 ft (~994 m × 23 m) asphalt |
| Runway Lights | Installed by Chimes Aviation Academy |
| Apron | 10–12 small aircraft capacity |
| Helipad | Yes |
| Elevation | ~1,706–1,709 ft / ~520–521 m AMSL |
| Coordinates | 23°45′14″N, 78°51′21″E |
| Distance from Sagar City | ~17 km |
| Nearest Weather Station | Raja Bhoj International Airport, Bhopal (~163 km) |
| Flight Information Region | Mumbai FIR |
| Scheduled Commercial Flights | None |
| Primary Use | Pilot training (CAA); VIP charter; government aviation; medical evacuation |
| Aircraft Based | 7 Cessna 172, 1 Piper Seneca, 1 DA 42 |
Dhana Airport Location: Sagar District’s Aviation Enclave
Dhana Airport is located in Dhana town, Sagar district, approximately 17 kilometres from Sagar city and proximate to the towns of Damoh, Khurai, and Bina. Coordinates are 23°45′14″N, 78°51′21″E, at an elevation of approximately 1,706 to 1,709 feet above mean sea level — the gently elevated Vindhyan plateau terrain of central Madhya Pradesh. A control tower (Dhana Tower) operates on frequency 122.600 MHz.
Sagar’s context matters for understanding who uses this airfield. The city is home to a Central University, a large student population, and significant government administrative functions as a divisional headquarters of the Sagar division. It is also approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Bhopal and within the Bundelkhand cultural zone. The aviation catchment includes Damoh (approximately 55 km east), Khurai (approximately 30 km west), and Bina (approximately 40 km west on the Delhi-Mumbai main line railway) — all moderate-sized towns without their own airports.
The nearest weather station for aviation is Raja Bhoj International Airport in Bhopal, approximately 163 km west — reflecting the scarcity of aviation weather reporting infrastructure in this part of Madhya Pradesh. The Flight Information Region is Mumbai FIR. Nearby airfields in pilot databases include Lalitpur Airport, Jabalpur Airport, Khajuraho Airport, Raja Bhoj International Airport, and Guna Airport.
Dhana Airport Code: VA1J — No Standard IATA or ICAO Code
Dhana Airport carries the pseudo-ICAO code VA1J — a locally assigned identifier used in pilot navigation databases and flight planning tools rather than a formally registered standard four-letter ICAO designator. No IATA code has been assigned. VA1J appears in pilot information services (METAR-TAF, Great Circle Mapper, OurAirports) as the locator code for the airfield. The runway designation 17/35 corresponds to headings of approximately 170 and 350 degrees respectively.
No METAR weather data is published. The airport does not appear in any commercial airline booking system. An IATA or standard ICAO code would be assigned if the airfield were formally licensed as a commercial public airport, which has not occurred.
Dhana Airport Terminal: A Pilot Training Hub on Leased State Land
The airstrip is owned by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and operated on lease by Chimes Aviation Private Limited, the parent company of Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA). The transformation of this state airstrip from a dormant government asset to an active pilot training facility is entirely CAA’s work — the organisation installed runway lights, built the hangar, laid out the apron for 10 to 12 small aircraft, and constructed the cafeteria and visitors lounge.
CAA operates the following aircraft from Dhana: seven Cessna 172 single-engine four-seat trainers (the global standard for basic pilot training), one Piper Seneca twin-engine aircraft (for multi-engine endorsements), and one Diamond DA 42 twin-engine glass-cockpit aircraft (for modern avionics and instrument training). The 140 × 100-foot hangar provides shelter and maintenance space for the fleet.
The airstrip’s 994-metre asphalt runway (approximately 3,260 feet) is suitable for light general aviation aircraft of the Cessna 172 class but not for commercial turboprop operations. The apron accommodates 10 to 12 small aircraft simultaneously — a configuration suited to a flying school where multiple students may be pre-flighting, taxiing, or parked between training sessions. A helipad alongside the runway serves helicopter operations.
Beyond pilot training, the airfield serves as a staging point for Madhya Pradesh Government Aviation (VIP and official charter flights) and for medical evacuation flights from the Sagar-Damoh-Khurai region — a service with genuine humanitarian value given the distance from tertiary medical facilities in Bhopal or Jabalpur.
Plans to open a flight school at the airstrip are referenced in aviation databases — though Chimes Aviation Academy is already functioning in that role, this reference may pertain to a separately structured DGCA-approved Flight Training Organisation (FTO) setup at a more formal regulatory level.
Dhana Airport Connectivity: Pilot Training and VIP Charter Only
By Air: No scheduled commercial passenger flights operate from Dhana Airport. The airfield handles CAA training flights, government VIP charters, and medical evacuation operations. Public passengers cannot book commercial airline tickets from this airfield.
By Road: Sagar city is approximately 17 km from the airport — around 25 to 35 minutes by road. Bhopal is approximately 163 km west via NH-46 and NH-86 — approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. Jabalpur is approximately 165 km east — around 2.5 to 3 hours. Bina Junction (a major railway node) is approximately 40 km west.
By Rail: Bina Junction Railway Station, approximately 40 km from Dhana, is on the Delhi-Mumbai main line of the West Central Railway, providing one of the better-connected rail options for the Sagar region. Sagar city itself has a railway station on the Bina-Katni branch line.
Nearest Commercial Airport: Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal (BHO) at approximately 163 km is the nearest commercial aviation facility. Jabalpur Airport (JLR) at approximately 165 km is a similar alternative eastward.
Dhana Airport Amenities: Pilot Training Facilities and a Visitors Lounge
The CAA-operated airfield has a cafeteria and a visitors lounge — practical facilities for student pilots, their families, and visitors to the flying school. The 140 × 100-foot hangar serves maintenance and sheltering needs. Runway lighting enables early morning and late evening training flights within safe operating hours.
There are no public passenger facilities — no check-in counters, no departure lounge for commercial travellers, no baggage handling, and no ground transport desks. The cafeteria and lounge exist to serve the aviation training community.
Sagar city’s accommodation — hotels, guesthouses, and facilities near the Central University campus — serves visitors arriving for flight training or family visits to CAA students.
FAQs: Dhana Airport
Q1. Does Dhana Airport have an IATA code?
No. Dhana Airport carries only the pseudo-ICAO code VA1J, which is an informal locator used in pilot navigation databases rather than a formally registered ICAO designation. No IATA code exists as the airport has no scheduled commercial operations.
Q2. What is Chimes Aviation Academy at Dhana Airport?
Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA) is a pilot training organisation that operates Dhana Airport on lease from the Madhya Pradesh government. CAA has seven Cessna 172 trainers, one Piper Seneca, and one DA 42 twin on the airfield, and installed runway lights, a hangar, and a visitors lounge as part of developing the airfield into a functioning flying school.
Q3. Can commercial flights use Dhana Airport?
No. The runway at approximately 994 metres is too short for commercial turboprop operations, and the airfield has no public aerodrome licence. Operations are limited to general aviation, pilot training, government charter, and medical evacuation.
Q4. How far is Dhana Airport from Sagar city?
Approximately 17 km — around 25 to 35 minutes by road. Sagar city, home to Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University, is the primary population centre served by this airfield.
Q5. What is the nearest commercial airport to Sagar?
Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal (BHO) at approximately 163 km is the nearest commercial airport. Jabalpur Airport (JLR) is approximately 165 km east.
