Amid Rising Tourist Footfall, Leh Airport To Expand Passenger Handling Capacity Four Fold

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has decided to increase the passenger-handling capacity of the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport that connects Leh to Ladakh, ANI reports.

Situated at an altitude of over 10,000 feats in the Himalayas, the airport is being renovated due to the rising tourist footfall noticed in the region.

Currently, the terminal building is spread across an area of 4,500 square meters. It will now be expanded by over four times to 19,000 square meters. Furthermore, Rs 480 crore will be spent on adding a modern terminal building and an apron to the present infrastructure.

“It will have three aerobridges. It will be equipped with all modern facilities and will be able to handle 2.5 million (25 lakh) passengers annually against the current capacity of 0.8 million (8 lakh) passengers,” Sonam Nurboo, Director of Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport was quoted by ANI.

The new terminal of the Leh airport is slated to be ready by the end of 2022 as it is attracting appreciation for efficient handling of operations amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The authorities have ensured that every passenger is properly checked and undergoes a thermal screening.

“According to safety protocol, they did their best. They gave sanitisers and face shields to all. They also followed social distancing and other rules. It is quite good,” Nihal, a tourist, said to the ANI.