Airport Advisory Committee Chairman Raju Bista assesses ongoing Bagdogra Airport expansion projects

• admin
• 27 February 2024
• 1

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has announced plans for the development of a new Civil Enclave at Bagdogra Airport in Phase-I, with an estimated cost of Rs. 1549 crore. However, the commencement of the project hinges on obtaining various clearances and approvals from different departments.

Bagdogra International Airport, the second busiest in the state, serves as a crucial gateway to several hill stations in the North Bengal region, including Darjeeling, Gangtok, Kurseong, Kalimpong, and Mirik. Situated 9 km southwest of Bagdogra’s city center, the airport operates as a civil enclave at Bagdogra Air Force Station. It has held the status of a limited international airport since 2002, facilitating flights to destinations such as Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi and Paro. Notably, Bagdogra Airport enjoys the distinction of imposing zero sales tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) among Indian airports.

Responding to a parliamentary inquiry by MP Raju Bista regarding the state government’s involvement in the enclave’s development, the Ministry of Civil Aviation revealed that the Government of West Bengal has allocated 98.72 acres of land to AAI for the project. Of this, 95.20 acres are on a leasehold basis for 99 years, while the remaining 3.52 acres have been transferred on an ownership basis. Additionally, the state government has agreed to provide 0.35 acres to facilitate a separate entry and exit for Bagdogra Airport. The expected completion date for the project is October 2026, although this timeline remains contingent upon obtaining necessary approvals, overcoming obstacles, achieving financial closure, and other factors.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) to bolster regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable for the masses. UDAN operates as a market-driven scheme, with interested airlines submitting proposals based on their assessment of demand for specific routes during bidding under UDAN. However, as of now, no valid bids have been received from airlines for operating flights from Bagdogra Airport.

In a recent development, the Airport Advisory Committee convened a meeting on 15th February 2024 at Bagdogra Airport, chaired by Shri Raju Bista, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (MP) from Darjeeling. Discussions during the meeting centered on improving passenger facilities, airport infrastructure, works completed in the past year, ongoing projects, and a slide presentation by the Airport Director regarding the upcoming new integrated terminal building.