AAI unveils Rs. 438-cr airport project

Airports Authority of India (AAI) is all set to embark on a plan to start the modernization of Agartala Airport at an investment of Rs. 438cr. On this score, the nodal agency has already finalized the design and is ready to start the construction work, which is expected to be completed by 2020, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayanta Sinha, had held a meeting with Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar, on this score. As per the plan, there would be new terminal building to provide service to around 1200 passengers in a day. Besides six new aprons, facilities would be created in such a way where 12 flights could stay at a time. Currently, only five planes could stay at the airport but now the existing runway would be extended for facilitating landing and take-off facility to big size planes. Once the face-lift works are completed, it would be easily elevated to international airport status and will enable authority to connect Agartala with Dhaka, Bangkok, and Yangon, as early as possible. The new terminal building would be two-storied which will be the replica of other major airports of the country. The state government has already allocated over 72 acres of land to the AAI to take-up the massive modernization plan and the AAI is in the process to hand over the construction to the airport building agency.