Bihar Airports Set for Major Upgrades with New Developments Announced

Sanjay Kumar Jha, head of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, discussed development plans with Civil Aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu. Plans include runway expansions, converting Darbhanga into an international airport, and improving aviation infrastructure across several airports in Bihar.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture Sanjay Kumar Jha on Tuesday met Civil Aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and sought runway expansion of airports in Patna, Darbhanga, and Gaya airports.

During the meeting, he said ''positive consensus'' was reached on several important points, including the expansion of runways in Patna, Darbhanga, and Gaya airports, converting Darbhanga into an international airport, and the development of modern aviation infrastructure in Bihar.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of Civil Aviation, was attended by several senior officials, including the Secretary of the Ministry, Joint Secretary, and the Chairman of the Airports Authority of India.

''In the meeting, consensus was reached on extending the runway by 300 metres at Patna Airport and installing a simple approach lighting system to make it more secure and modern. For this, a request has been made to the state government to provide approximately 49 acres of land.

''Significant progress has also been made towards converting Darbhanga Airport into an international airport. For this purpose, the process of land acquisition of 90 acres by the state government to extend the runway to 12,000 feet (3,658 metres) and install the necessary lighting system has been completed. This land will be handed over to the Airports Authority of India within the next two weeks,'' Jha said in a post on X.

He also claimed that consensus was also reached on holding a meeting with the Ministry of Defence in this regard.

''I am confident that the launch of international flight services from Darbhanga will usher in a new era of development in Mithila and the entire North Bihar,'' he said.

Jha said Purnea Airport has emerged as a rapidly growing airport under the UDAN scheme and a decision has been taken to issue tenders soon for construction of a new permanent terminal building here.

Meanwhile, the ministry has also agreed to the runway expansion at Gaya Airport, and a request has been made to the state government to provide additional land for this, the JD(U) leader claimed.

''In the meeting, Minister Rammohan Naidu Ji said that efforts will be made to bring Rajgir onto the aviation map and to connect the Buddhist circuit, new helipads, and religious-tourism sites with aviation services under the revised UDAN scheme.

''Meanwhile, the preliminary feasibility study report for the proposed airport at Sultanganj has also come back positive, which will open up new possibilities for development in Bhagalpur and surrounding areas,'' he said.

Additionally, consensus has been reached on initiating the tender-related process by June 2026 for operating small aircraft from Bearpur, Valmiki Nagar, Saharsa, and Muzaffarpur airports, he said.

''I am confident that in the coming years, better air connectivity will create new opportunities for tourism, trade, investment, and employment in Bihar, and the state's economic progress will gain new momentum,'' the JDU leader said.