Agartala, August 30, 2024: In a significant move, Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb recently raised a demand for the declaration of Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport as an international airport. Responding to his demand, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murleedhar Mohor, informed Shri Deb via letter about the current status of the proposal.
The Union Minister stated that the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) has notified Agartala Airport as a Customs Notified Airport effective from January 4, 2023. Further, he mentioned that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has fulfilled all necessary requirements set by the Ministry of Home Affairs for declaring Agartala Airport as an Immigration Check Post (ICP). A proposal for the same is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Minister Mohor elaborated that the issue of granting international status to an airport depends on several factors, including the airport’s traffic handling capacity, demand for international flight operations from airlines, and bilateral air service agreements. He also pointed out that certain infrastructure requirements such as ground lighting facilities, Instrument Landing System (ILS), runway length, immigration, and health services are integral to this consideration.
The conversion of Agartala’s MBB Airport into an international airport could serve as a catalyst for enhancing trade, tourism, and connectivity in the northeastern region, benefiting Tripura and its neighboring states. The citizens and stakeholders await further decisions from the central ministries, hoping for a positive outcome that could pave the way for Agartala’s emergence on the international aviation map.
