Land acquisition hurdles stall Tripura airport revival

Agartala: Tripura's Kailashahar airport remains grounded. Land acquisition problems have stalled the site's long-awaited revival. State Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury confirmed the delays on July 29.

The facility sat idle for years after serving as a key hub during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Chief Minister Manik Saha met with Airports Authority of India (AAI) representatives to discuss restarting operations. The government is still waiting for the AAI to submit a formal feasibility report.

Expanding the runway is mandatory. Current space cannot handle ATR aircraft. Minister Chowdhury noted the financial scale of the work: "Land acquisition is necessary to revive the airport because the existing runway is not long enough even for an ATR landing. It is estimated that Rs 400 crore to Rs 500 crore will be required for land acquisition and airport expansion."

Opposition leader Birajit Sinha wants the project moving. He argues that the airport is vital for both civilian travel and border defense. Sinha claims Bangladesh recently built an air base roughly 8 to 10 kilometers from the town. He plans to lobby Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly for federal help.