Agartala, April 22 (TIWN):Airport Authority of India (AAI) have taken steps for up – gradation of Agartala airport as intra – regional hub with air connectivity to all the State capitals in the North East region, said Samarjit Bhowmik, secretary, transport department.

 He was briefing reporters at secretariat after participating the meeting convened by the ministry of DoNER on various issues relating to civil aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in north eastern region on 13 April at Delhi.    

AAI also planned for construction of an hanger at the airport and submitted a Detail Project Report to North East Council (NEC) for fund support,besides DPR  is being prepared for construction  of new terminal building, informed Bhowmik.

The secretary of DoNER was asked to intervene by state official so that AAI may immediately take up at least terminal building construction works of the airport  which is a part of modernization projects. In the meeting it was also requested to increase the number of flights to the state, Agartala Airport is the second largest airport in terms passenger traffic, had around 8 lakhs passenger in 2013vand 2014 the same had increased to 9 lakhs in 2014.

To improve air connectivity in the region, government displaced 157 families from the southern and western part of the city airport.The families have been shifted to the land that AAI had abandoned on the other side of the airport along with a total cash compensation of Rs 30 crore.