The proposed expansion of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar is awaiting approval from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) after a year since the project was revised to improve traveller convenience. The estimated investment stands at Rs 10 billion (bn). The authority revised the earlier plan for separate arrival and departure facilities to a single integrated terminal following stakeholder feedback, with the new terminal designed to span 65,000 square metres and accommodate both arrivals and departures under one roof.

A recent Airport Advisory Committee (AAC) meeting urged the authority to expedite the integrated Terminal 3 project, noting that passenger traffic had continued to grow at an unprecedented pace. The panel observed that daily passenger footfall had crossed 15,000 on several occasions, emphasising the urgency of capacity augmentation. Opened in 1962, the airport handled five point one five million (mn) passengers in 2025, the highest annual traffic in its history, elevating it to the 13th busiest airport in the country.

The airport is currently connected to 24 domestic and four international destinations and has 18 aircraft parking bays, with plans to construct six additional aerobridges adjacent to the existing T1 building to support the proposed terminal. Runway and parallel taxi track upgrades are planned to supplement flight handling capacity to 20 flights per hour. Officials indicated that land close to T1 has been kept ready for the new terminal and that approvals remain pending.

Authorities expect the standalone Terminal 3 to raise annual passenger handling to eight point six mn and enable handling of around 3,000 travellers during peak hours, while offering expanded check-in areas, improved baggage handling systems and enhanced passenger amenities. Recent modernisation included a skybridge linking domestic and international terminals and technological upgrades intended to improve Airport Service Quality ratings. The AAC also explored feasibility of direct services to Jaipur, Surat, Shirdi, Tirupati and Bhopal, with Jaipur said to be likely to commence shortly.