Agartala demands airport upgradation and more connectivity

The Tripura government on Thursday urged the Centre to open up the Agartala airport for custom facilities and demanded more connectivity to other states.

Tripura governor Tathagata Roy met Union civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday to take up these issues.

"The Governor explained the necessity to have more flights between Agartala and the rest of the country, especially Kolkata, considering the peculiar geographical position of the state," said a statement from the Tripura governor's office.

 

Roy said the projected traffic between Tripura and Bangladesh is slated to increase after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Bangladesh, and the upgradation of the airport to "customs airport level" was required.

Last month, Airports Authority of India (AAI) had said it was upgrading the Agartala airport to international standards "by providing world-class facilities." The AAI is planning to appoint a project consultant for this. The project is expected to cost Rs 426 crore. The state government has acquired 72 acres of land and handed it over to the AAI for expansion of the runway.