To promote the aviation sector, identified as a thrust area in the Industrial and Business Development Policy 2017, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday approved leasing of four sites, of 5000 sq feet each, for the development of a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Patiala Aviation Complex (PAC).The move was aimed at enabling Punjab’s development as a hub for the aviation and defence industry to tap the future potential of the sector and create employment opportunities for youth, said an official spokesperson after the Cabinet meeting.The Department of Civil Aviation has received communication from the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (Invest Punjab), Department of Investment Promotion, regarding the setting up of MRO facility in Punjab. Various companies have expressed interest in setting up such a facility in Punjab and have requested for space near airports, preferably hangar sites at airports/flying clubs.While proximity of Chandigarh/Patiala from the national capital Delhi makes it an ideal ground for setting up of MROs, the Department of Civil Aviation does not have any land at Chandigarh/SAS Nagar. However, it has around 235 acres of land at the Patiala Aviation Complex, which currently houses a Flying Training School, an operational runway for medium size aircraft used for flying training, the Punjab State Aeronautical Engineering College for aeronautical engineers and the Punjab Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College (PAMEC) for technicians. It also houses the Civil Aviation regulatory body – the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA).