NEW DELHI: Twenty-four years after demand was raised during Bihar-Jharkhand bifurcation, the Centre on Friday gave a green light for a second civilian airport for Patna, which will come up at the Bihta air force base.
The clearance for new facility at Bihta came within weeks of Bihar package in the budget, which had highlighted how new airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure would come up in the state where BJP and JD(U) are coalition partners.Apart from Patna, Bihar has airports in Bodhgaya and Darbhanga for commercial traffic.
A terminal building that can handle 50 lakh passengers annually will be built along with associated infra at a cost of Rs 1,413 crore in phase one so that the defence base can have a civilian enclave – like airports in Goa Dabolim, Ghaziabad Hindon and many others. Subsequently, the civilian enclave’s capacity will be doubled to handle 1 crore passengers annually.
“Increased air connectivity is great news for tourism and commercial growth. The Cabinet has approved new civilian enclaves at Bagdogra in West Bengal and Bihta in Bihar. This will ensure seamless travel to and from these places,” PM Narendra Modi posted on X after the Cabinet cleared the two proposals.
CCEA also approved AAI’s proposal to develop a new civil enclave at Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri, West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 1,549 crore. New terminal at Bagdogra will one able to handle upto 3,000 passengers per hour and have an annual capacity to handle one crore passengers.
Located 28 km from Patna, the new airport at Bihta will meet requirement of Patna airport, which is reaching saturation. I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new airport will get big planes. Sources said decision to develop Bihta as a civilian airport to handle more passengers took longer as there were indications of some preferring to take up development of an airport at Nalanda.
The clearance for new facility at Bihta came within weeks of Bihar package in the budget, which had highlighted how new airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure would come up in the state where BJP and JD(U) are coalition partners.Apart from Patna, Bihar has airports in Bodhgaya and Darbhanga for commercial traffic.
A terminal building that can handle 50 lakh passengers annually will be built along with associated infra at a cost of Rs 1,413 crore in phase one so that the defence base can have a civilian enclave – like airports in Goa Dabolim, Ghaziabad Hindon and many others. Subsequently, the civilian enclave’s capacity will be doubled to handle 1 crore passengers annually.
“Increased air connectivity is great news for tourism and commercial growth. The Cabinet has approved new civilian enclaves at Bagdogra in West Bengal and Bihta in Bihar. This will ensure seamless travel to and from these places,” PM Narendra Modi posted on X after the Cabinet cleared the two proposals.
CCEA also approved AAI’s proposal to develop a new civil enclave at Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri, West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 1,549 crore. New terminal at Bagdogra will one able to handle upto 3,000 passengers per hour and have an annual capacity to handle one crore passengers.
Located 28 km from Patna, the new airport at Bihta will meet requirement of Patna airport, which is reaching saturation. I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new airport will get big planes. Sources said decision to develop Bihta as a civilian airport to handle more passengers took longer as there were indications of some preferring to take up development of an airport at Nalanda.
Source Agencies
