The Airport Authority of India has planned an investment of Rs 438 crore to revamp the Agartala airport in line with international standards by adding more facilities.
KRC TIMES Desk
After Guwahati and Imphal, the Agartala airport is set to become the third international airport in the northeastern region by the end of this year or by early 2020, According to sources, Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said. The AAI had undertaken a Rs 438 crore project to upgrade the Agartala airport to international standards by providing world-class facilities.
“The budgeted expenditure of Rs 438 crore is expected to be escalated. However, our government constantly asking the AAI to complete the works early and maintain the stipulated standards,” the Minister added.
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also recently discussed with the Civil Aviation Minister in New Delhi about the up-gradation of the Agartala airport, which was built in 1942 by then King Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur.
According to an official of the Chief Minister’s Office, Union Civil Aviation Minister Raj Kumar Singh responded positively when Deb requested him to expedite the works.
The airport in Agartala is the second busiest in the northeast after Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. The Imphal airport was declared as an international airport one-two years ago.
“The state government had already provided 72 acres of land to the AAI for construction of the new terminal building, runway and other necessary infrastructure.”
According to AAI officials, the Agartala airport handled on an average nine lakh passengers per year.
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry last year renamed the Agartala airport, earlier known as Singerbill Airport, after Tripura’s last ruler Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, reports said.The airport is located 20 km north of the capital city and sits just along the Bangladesh border.
An informed official said that the AAI is now implementing Rs 3,400 crore projects for the up-gradation of various airports in the northeastern region.
According to the AAI North East Region Executive Director Sanjeev Jindal reports recorded, Rs 720 crore project now being implemented for further up-gradation of the Imphal International Airport.
