Bihar Approves Sonepur Greenfield Airport Project

26 Feb 2026 CW Team

The Bihar Cabinet has approved the construction of a Greenfield international airport at Sonepur in Saran district, a decision taken at a meeting chaired by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The proposal was among 35 items cleared by the Cabinet as part of steps to expand state infrastructure. The project is intended to strengthen air connectivity and support regional development.

The airport will be developed on about 4,200 acres in the Dariyapur Chanwar area between Hajipur and Dumaria, and the State government has set a target to complete the project by 2030. Officials indicated the site was selected for its strategic location and capacity for large scale operations. The airport has been planned as an international facility with modern passenger and cargo infrastructure.

Planners have proposed two runways, each 4,200 metres long, and a long runway capable of handling very large aircraft including the Airbus A380, one of the world's largest passenger aeroplanes. The facility is expected to rank as the fifth largest airport in the country after Delhi, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Noida (Jewar) international airports. The scheme will add to national efforts to develop greenfield airports and will be the 24th Greenfield airport in the country.

Following the project's inclusion in the Union Budget the State government accelerated approvals and sanctioned funds for land acquisition, with an amount of Rs 13,020 million (Rs 13.02 bn) allocated for that purpose. The Cabinet cleared land acquisition to enable prompt commencement of work and officials said administrative steps will follow to secure parcels. The decision was welcomed by the Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament from Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and is being seen as a significant boost to regional connectivity in north Bihar.

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