West Bengal: Runway repair starts at Bagdogra airport

The Bagdogra airport will benefit from the shutdown by the Indian Air Force (IAF). It repairs the runway to refurbish the existing terminal for three months before operations could shift to the upcoming new terminal building.

The Bagdogra airport repair work is likely to be completed by 25th April, which includes replacing the glazed windows, replacing floor tiles, replacing the false ceiling, and checking all servicing electrical equipment such as air conditioners, elevators and escalators.

Bagdogra airport director, P Subramani, said that the construction of the new terminal is expected to begin in eight months, and the facility has to operate for over three years.

The airport has been shut down as IAF will lay the final top layer on the runway. Joint runway works will continue till October. Earlier, the Bagdogra airport had 36 flights per day, which has now been limited to 28 flights.

In October 2020, the airport increased its security and could comfortably seat passengers on five flights.

AAI invited bids of Rs 1,312.9 cr for architectural and engineering consultancy services for the new terminal. The company is preparing a master plan for the new terminal building and reviewing its construction. The work on the new terminal building will commence in January 2023 and is expected to be complete by July 2025.

The bids had been invited within 20 days of the West Bengal government handing the required to the AAI for the airport expansion project. The government also transferred around 100 acres of land to AAI.

Currently, the terminal is spread across 8,000 sq m and is designed to handle 7.5 lakh passengers every year. The passengers' number is nearly four times the given number.

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