AGARTALA, December 3 (TIWN): To upgrade the Agartala airport in Tripura, the Airports Authority of India will soon launch a Rs 250-crore project. The project will include extension of runway to help accommodate wide-bodied aircraft and expansion and improvement of the passenger amenities. The upgradation of the Agartala airport now waits for the environmental clearance, said Power Minister Manik Dey. He said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready, whereas the plan and the design had already been finalized during 2013.

Tripura, the landlocked state, has limited road and rail connectivity with the rest of the country and is primarily dependent on air travel. According to sources, keeping in tune with the improving ties with neighboring Bangladesh, the Tripura government has requested that the airport be upgraded into an international airport. This should help to improve business and tourism in Tripura in the long run. The proposal has received an in-principle nod from the Centre.

Talking to the reporters here at the civil secretariat on Tuesday Power Minister Manik Dey informed that the land acquisition for the upgradation of the Agartala airport had already been completed. He added that 72 acres of land had been finalized for the new terminal buolding, where 18 acres of land are under khash land and rests are under jyot land. Beside at least 157 families fell under the land acquisition and they had already been rehabilitated, Manik Dey said.

Beside,  the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had asked for another land acquisition for the car parking, but the state govt. in reply urged them to acquire land from the existing airport quarter complex, said Manik Dey.    

According to the sources, the Agartala airport modernization project involves upgrading of the runway and aprons, construction of six aerobridges, three elevators and two escalators besides walkways to connect the international arrival and departure levels.

The Agartala airport would be the third international standard airport after the Guwahati and Imphal airports.  Imphal's Tulihal airport was recently declared as an international airport after its modernization.

Beside the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India is likely to floor the tender of upgradation of Agartala Airport project within next 3 to 4 months said a highly placed source of secretariat. The Terminal building will be taken on the first phase of construction and the construction of Runway Street will be taken on the second phase.Around 10.6 acres of land had been made available for the construction of the Terminal building during the first phase and 62 acres of land for the construction of Runway Street during the second phase, the source added.