Darbhanga Airport
| Darbhanga Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Darbhanga MP receiving PM Modi at Darbhanga Airport | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Darbhanga | ||||||||||
| Location | Darbhanga, Bihar, India | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°11′41″N 085°55′03″E / 26.19472°N 85.91750°ECoordinates: 26°11′41″N 085°55′03″E / 26.19472°N 85.91750°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  Darbhanga Airport  Darbhanga Airport | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Darbhanga Airport is an airport in Darbhanga, Bihar, India. This airport was under operation and perhaps this is the first operational airport in Bihar. It will be operated as a civil enclave on an Indian Air Force base[2] named AFS Darbhanga.[3] Charter operator Spirit Air (India) operated Durgapur-Kolkata flights, but these ended because of technical reasons.
History
Having a vast history in aviation, Darbhanga Aviation was mainly a cargo airline owned by Darbhanga Raj. During the 1962 Indo-China War, the airport was acquired by the Government of India for defense. The airbase is now owned by the Indian Air Force (IAF). A civil enclave or terminal building along with ATC (air traffic control) tower, parking apron and cargo among other facilities are now being planned by acquiring land close to existing airbase to start commercial flight operations.[4] The Bihar government has already initiated the land acquisition and 31 acres of the land will be provided to the Indian Air Force, Darbhanga for the further planning of the permanent terminal building at AAI, Darbhanga. Shushil Modi met with officials in Delhi to expedite process so flights can be started from April 2019[5] Another high-level meeting is also being held on this issue in Patna.[6]
UDAN Scheme
Under UDAN (Udey Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme-II, SpiceJet has been awarded a Letter of Award to operate flights from Darbhanga to Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. There will be seven flights per week to these cities by 189-seat jets, including 40 RCS seats with a maximum fare of Rs.3,199/-.[7] Airport Authority of India will soon construct the Interim Terminal Building, the taxi track and the apron area, strengthen the runways, and perform technical work. The government of India has already sanctioned approximately ₹100 crores for these projects. The construction of the terminal is likely to be completed by the end of December 2018, allowing scheduled flights from Darbhanga Airport by the last week of January 2019.
Moreover, AAI Darbhanga has also initiated the process of acquiring 31 additional acres of land from Airforce Station, Darbhanga.
Airlines and destinations
Currently there is no scheduled commercial air service from Darbhanga. However, SpiceJet will start flights in mid-2019 under the UDAN scheme.
References
- ↑ "VE89 @ OurAirports". ourairports.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-19.
- ↑ "Indigo and SpiceJet express interest in operating flights from Darbhanga - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- ↑ "ATS". indianairforce.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
- ↑ "Indigo and SpiceJet express interest in operating flights from Darbhanga". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2018-05-19.