Agartala, Imphal airports to be made international

Airports of Agartala and Imphal are all set to become international, after the respective state governments decided to promote the states and lure tourists for business.

"Business with Bangladesh will surely improve as people living across the border will like to visit Tripura. Even our people are interested to go to Bangladesh. If we have connectivity with Dhaka and Chittagong, it will give a huge boost to the business," said S.D.Burman, Joint General Manager of Agartala Airport.

Tripura shares its boundary with Bangladesh on three sides, and has strong trade ties with the neighbouring country.

In the last fiscal, trade between India and Bangladesh via Tripura amounted to Rs. 300 crores. In the first phase, there are plans to connect the airport with Chittagong and Dhaka so as to facilitate greater trade and people-to-people contact with Bangladesh. People believe the up gradation of Agartala airport will boost trade and tourism in the state.

Meanwhile, Imphal Airport in Manipur has already been upgraded to handle international flights from next month. This will help boost trade, tourism, investment and people-to-people contact between India and Southeast Asian countries.

At present, Guwahati Airport is the only international one in the region. However, at least 12 new airports are expected to become operational in the near future in the region.