Agartala, Jan. 4: A major expansion and infrastructure upgradation drive has been taken up at the Agartala airport, the only one in the state. Located close to Bangladesh, the distance between the edge of the runway and the international border is 150 yards, the airport will be made equipped to handle international flights. Senior airport manager Prashanta Kar said the airport was built by the British during World War II but its importance grew after Independence as Tripura lost access to the heartland following the emergence of the then East Pakistan.
Kar said the last phase of modernisation was undertaken in 1996, after an announcement by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.
The modernisation of the terminal and runway was taken up with a special grant of Rs 60 crore. “The new terminal, with a capacity to handle more than 500 passengers and a parking lot for 200 vehicles, has been built at a cost of Rs 26 crore. The remaining amount is being spent for extension of the runway,” Kar said.
He said the present runway of 6,000 feet has night-landing facilities for Boeings. After its extension, the Airbus A-320 will also be able to land and fly by night.
The National Airports Authority has acquired 41 acres to extend the runway. Kar said modern equipment had already arrived and experts in the airport and terminal buildings were installing them.
“We are also preparing the airport staff for tackling any eventuality, including hijacking,” he said. Work on the runway would be completed by May, he said.