Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the architect of Assam and the Northeast’s transformation as he inaugurated the new terminal building at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. Sonowal accompanied the Prime Minister at the ceremony, where Modi also unveiled a statue of Bharat Ratna Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi at the airport.

Recalling the Prime Minister’s visit, Sonowal said Assam and the wider Northeast have seen rapid transformation since 2014 under Modi’s leadership. He said a region earlier neglected has emerged as a key driver of India’s economic growth, describing the Northeast as the nation’s “Ashtalakshmi” and a new engine of New India. He added that the inauguration of the new terminal marks the start of a new chapter for Assam’s international air connectivity. The decision to build the terminal was taken through a memorandum of understanding signed during the first Advantage Assam summit in 2018, the same year the foundation stone was laid.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s focus on “transformation through transport”, Sonowal said the terminal represents a major milestone in Assam’s journey towards prosperity. For over six decades, the state’s main airport operated with limited capacity, and Guwahati’s growing role as a gateway to Southeast Asia made the expansion essential to strengthen connectivity and mobility.

Spread over about 140,000 square metres and nearly seven times larger than the previous terminal, the new facility increases annual passenger handling capacity from 3.4 million to more than 13 million. Built at a cost of nearly Rs 40 billion, the terminal offers Guwahati world-class aviation infrastructure, Sonowal said.

Welcoming the unveiling of Bordoloi’s statue, the minister said the leader’s vision and decisive leadership safeguarded Assam’s identity during India’s freedom struggle while strengthening national unity and integrity. He added that Bordoloi’s legacy would continue to inspire future generations in building a strong and developed India.