Union Cabinet approves airport projects in West Bengal and Bihar

Second Patna airport to cost Rs 1.4K cr; new Bagdogra terminal gets Rs 1.5K cr

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the construction of a second airport in Patna, to be developed as a civil enclave at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Bihta, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,413 crore. The Cabinet also approved the construction of a new terminal building at Bagdogra airport at an estimated cost of Rs 1,549 crore.

The infrastructure project at Bihta represents a strategic move to address the anticipated saturation of capacity at Patna airport, the central government stated. "While the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is already in the process of constructing a new terminal building at Patna airport, further expansion is constrained by limited land availability," it mentioned.

The IAF base at Bihta is about 27 km away from the existing Patna airport. The new airport's terminal building will have the peak capacity to handle 3,000 passengers per hour. This building will be spread across 66,000 square metres, the government said.

Along with the terminal building, an apron with two link taxiways and 10 parking bays will also be constructed under the Bihta project. Airlines have been asking the central government to expand Patna airport due to high demand from passengers.

The Bagdogra airport has been operating close to full capacity for the last few years as it is the nearest airport to popular tourist destinations in Sikkim. The new terminal building at Bagdogra, spread across 70,390 square metres, will be built by the AAI. It will be designed to have a peak handling capacity of 3,000 passengers per hour.