News Brief
Bhagalpur’s Long Wait For Air Connectivity: New Greenfield Airport Sites Under Review
Map showing location of Bhagalpur in Bihar
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to inaugurate Purnia airport at Chunapur on 15 September, attention in Bihar has turned once again to Bhagalpur’s long-standing demand for air connectivity, Times of India reported.
The district, which briefly hosted commercial flights in 1983 through private operators, has been waiting for a functioning airport for 42 years after services were withdrawn owing to poor viability and low passenger numbers.
In recent months, efforts to revive the project have gathered momentum.
Two potential sites have been identified, around 855 acres in Sultanganj block and 660 acres in Goradih block for a proposed greenfield airport under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS-UDAN).
Unlike Bhagalpur’s existing but commercially defunct airfield, these locations are being actively assessed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
In March this year, the Bihar cabinet gave its nod to a larger airport project in Bhagalpur, asking officials to mark land parcels and forward feasibility studies to MoCA.
“Relentless efforts at different levels for establishing a new airport at the projected locations either in Sultanganj or Goradih would soon be a reality. PM Modi would consider the establishment of a greenfield airport in Bhagalpur for which CM Nitish Kumar is also very keen,” JD(U) MP from Bhagalpur, Ajay Kumar Mandal was quoted as saying by ToI.
He stressed that a modern airport would not only link Bhagalpur to the national aviation grid but also serve adjoining districts with both passenger and cargo services, urging the Prime Minister and Chief Minister to fast-track the process.
