AGARTALA, Feb 13 - Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to increase the length of Agartala airport�s runway to facilitate landing of big size aircrafts.
The length of the Northeast�s second busiest Agartala airport stands at 2,285 metres which is sufficient for small aircrafts having capacity of 180 passengers.
AAI authority favours increasing the length of runway to 2,525 metres along with modernisation of the airport. If the runway is extended, big aircrafts like Boeing 747 will be able to land here raising the passenger cap upto 250/300.
�Around 13 acres of land will be needed to increase the runway at an estimated cost of Rs 60/70 crore. We have approached the Tripura Government about the requirement of additional land�, said an official of AAI here on Monday.
He said AAI is ready to spend the money to increase the runway by 240 metres. �The cost will be less if the plan is included in the ongoing Rs 250 crore face-lift plan for Agartala airport�, he said.
When contacted, Transport Secretary Samarjit Bhowmik said the State Government is not aware about the additional requirement of land for extension of the runway. �We have already handed over 73 acres of land to undertake facelift of the airport long time back but works have not started yet. Let AAI start the modernisation plan at the earliest and this case could be considered later�, he said.
