Ahead of Guwahati airport’s T2 opening, Assam govt mulls another terminal

Guwahati, Dec 18: Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the new terminal at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi (LGB) International Airport on December 20, the Assam government has already begun planning for the construction of a second terminal at Guwahati’s main aviation hub.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday, said the state government is mulling a brand new additional terminal, underlining the anticipated surge in passenger traffic and the airport’s growing regional role.

“The planning for a second new terminal is already in progress. For now, all operations will be shifted to the new terminal once it is inaugurated,” Sarma told the press, after a cabinet meeting at Lok Sewa Bhawan.

He added that the existing terminal would eventually be phased out.

“It will take some time. Until then, international flights will continue to operate from the old terminal due to customs and other requirements. But eventually, the old terminal will be closed,” the Chief Minister said.

The new Bamboo Orchids Terminal, designed to handle 13.1 million passengers per annum (MPPA), is expected to significantly enhance air connectivity between the Northeast and Southeast Asia.

A still of the interior of the new terminal. (Photo:@himantabiswa/X)

Operated by Guwahati International Airport Limited (GIAL), the new terminal is slated to become operational in the first quarter of next year.

Officials see the new terminal as more than just an infrastructure upgrade. It is being positioned as a defining gateway for the Northeast that blends culture with connectivity and aligns infrastructure with economic ambition.

Improved cargo and passenger connectivity is expected to boost Assam’s export ecosystem, including tea, agricultural produce, handloom and floriculture, while also attracting tourism and investment from ASEAN countries.

Sources earlier told The Assam Tribune that LGBI Airport’s Terminal 2 is envisioned as a strategic bridge linking the Northeast’s entrepreneurial potential with Southeast Asia’s growth markets.

For trade, it promises quicker access to international destinations; for travellers, smoother entry into the region’s eco-tourism circuits, including Kaziranga, Majuli and Sualkuchi, as well as neighbouring states such as Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, and nearby Bhutan.

With expansion plans already on the table, the Guwahati airport is poised to play a central role in reshaping the Northeast’s connectivity and economic engagement with the wider region.