Bihar govt asks Centre to expedite Bihta airport construction work

22 Feb 2022 CW Team

On Friday, Bihar’s chief secretary Amir Subhani wrote to the Union civil aviation secretary regarding this reminding him that the state government had transferred 108 acres of land at Bihta to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on December 6, 2018. Yet, the government is to initiate work on the civil enclave at Bihta.

The state’s reply comes as a veiled rebuttal to Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, who said in Parliament on February 10 that the Bihar government requires to identify an alternate site for the development of a greenfield airport in case of non-availability of essential land at Bihta air base. Scindia had requested different states to render additional land for the development of greenfield airports.

State officials told the media that despite the transfer of land in 2018 and the development of a boundary wall, not much had been attained at the Bihta airport. The Public Investment Board (PIB) is yet to accord permission to the Rs 900-crore Bihta airport project.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), during the intervening period, had asked for additional land twice from the state government for the Bihta airport. It first asked for an additional 191 acres for extension of the existing runway from 8,400 feet to 12,000 feet. This, the government said, would boost the operation of wide-bodied aircraft without any passenger load restriction. Later, it sought another 8 acres for the development of the apron to augment operational needs for wide-bodied aircraft. The state government, yet, has not replied favourably to the Centre’s proposal so far.

MoCA authorities told the media that the PIB approval to the Bihta airport project was pending because the state government is yet to clear its stand on the Centre’s request for additional land for operational needs.

Image Source

Also read: AAI targets capital outlay of Rs 91k cr in airport sector

The Bihar government has asked the Centre to accelerate the construction work of a civil enclave at the Bihta airport, a defence aerodrome, which is to be built as an alternative to the Patna airport for commercial operations. On Friday, Bihar’s chief secretary Amir Subhani wrote to the Union civil aviation secretary regarding this reminding him that the state government had transferred 108 acres of land at Bihta to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on December 6, 2018. Yet, the government is to initiate work on the civil enclave at Bihta. The state’s reply comes as a veiled rebuttal to Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, who said in Parliament on February 10 that the Bihar government requires to identify an alternate site for the development of a greenfield airport in case of non-availability of essential land at Bihta air base. Scindia had requested different states to render additional land for the development of greenfield airports. State officials told the media that despite the transfer of land in 2018 and the development of a boundary wall, not much had been attained at the Bihta airport. The Public Investment Board (PIB) is yet to accord permission to the Rs 900-crore Bihta airport project. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), during the intervening period, had asked for additional land twice from the state government for the Bihta airport. It first asked for an additional 191 acres for extension of the existing runway from 8,400 feet to 12,000 feet. This, the government said, would boost the operation of wide-bodied aircraft without any passenger load restriction. Later, it sought another 8 acres for the development of the apron to augment operational needs for wide-bodied aircraft. The state government, yet, has not replied favourably to the Centre’s proposal so far. MoCA authorities told the media that the PIB approval to the Bihta airport project was pending because the state government is yet to clear its stand on the Centre’s request for additional land for operational needs. Image Source Also read: AAI targets capital outlay of Rs 91k cr in airport sector

Infrastructure Urban

05 May 2026

Meghalaya And Assam Hold Talks To End Transport Stoppages In Garo Hills

Meghalaya and Assam have opened talks aimed at ending recent stoppages of commodity transport in the Garo Hills, officials said. The deputy chief minister, in charge of home affairs, reported that both state governments are coordinating to resolve disruptions and to restore normal movement of goods. He acknowledged that misunderstandings may have contributed to the incidents and that clarification between administrative units is under way. The discussions are intended to produce practical arrangements that will allow consignments to move without hindrance while respecting local procedures. The..

Infrastructure Transport

05 May 2026

Kochi Metro Records 1.375 mn Rise In Passengers In FY26

Kochi Metro recorded a marginal rise in ridership in the financial year 2025-26, carrying 1.375 mn more passengers than in the previous year. The service carried 36.8 million (mn) passengers in 2025-26 compared with 35.5 mn in 2024-25, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.9 per cent. The growth was described as distributed rather than concentrated in isolated spikes. A month-wise analysis shows steady gains across quarters. In the first quarter, ridership increased from 8.57 mn to 8.84 mn, while the second quarter rose from 9.13 mn to 9.51 mn. These trends indicated broad-based improvemen..

Infrastructure Transport

05 May 2026

Ghaziabad Plans 16km Metro Link To Delhi Via Hindon Airport

Ghaziabad authorities are pursuing a 16 km metro link to Delhi that will run via Hindon Airport, and a detailed project report is under way. The plan is intended to improve connectivity between Ghaziabad and the national capital and to provide an interchange with the airport. Officials said the project is being studied to assess alignments, station locations and cost estimates ahead of formal approvals and tendering. The announcement follows the inauguration of the Delhi?Faridabad metro extension, which will offer hassle free travel for around 0.2 mn daily commuters between the national capita..