Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport

Last updated

Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport
MBB Agartala Airport in Night Time.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/Operator Airports Authority of India
Serves Agartala
LocationSingerbhil, Agartala, Tripura, India
Opened1942;82 years ago (1942)
Elevation  AMSL 14 m / 47 ft
Coordinates 23°53′24″N091°14′32″E / 23.89000°N 91.24222°E / 23.89000; 91.24222
Website Agartala Airport
Map
India Tripura location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
IXA
Location of airport in Tripura
India location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
IXA
IXA (India)
Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
mft
18/362,2867,500 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2023 - March 2024)
Passengers1,470,670 (Increase2.svg 6.1%)
Aircraft movements10,906 (Decrease2.svg 10.6%)
Cargo tonnage3,024 (Decrease2.svg 26.6%)
Source: AAI [1] [2] [3]

Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport (IATA: IXA, ICAO: VEAT), also known as Agartala Airport, [4] [5] [6] [7] is an international airport [8] situated 12 kilometres (7 miles) northwest of Agartala, the capital of Tripura. It is administered by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). [9] It is the second busiest airport in North-East India after Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati and 29th busiest airport in India. It is the third international airport in North-East India, after Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport and Imphal Airport.

Contents

The current integrated terminal of the airport has 20 check-in counters, six parking bays, four aerobridges, conveyor belts and passenger-friendly modern facilities and amenities like In-Line Baggage System (ILBS), Escalators, Lifts, etc. In addition to the new terminal building, a new parallel taxiway to the runway and two new hangars are being built. Another terminal, along with the runway, will be built as an extension of the airport across the border with Bangladesh. This new terminal will serve Bangladeshis accessing the airport without having to enter Indian territory. This arrangement is worked out as similar to the Cross Border Xpress terminal of Tijuana International Airport in Mexico, which is located along the United States–Mexico border. [10]

History

The airport was designed and built in 1942 by the then Maharaja of Tripura, Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarman. It had one primary runway, 05/23, which is now used as a taxiway to Runway 18/36.

During World War II, the airport was used by the RAF nos.31 and 194 Squadrons in February/March 1943 as a supply base for the Chindit operations behind enemy lines in Burma. [11] These Squadrons returned in February 1944 to provide support to the second Chindit operation. Later the 4th Combat Cargo Group (4th CCG) of the United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force, flying Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft over Burma. [12] The 4th CCG operated from the airport during December 1944 and January 1945, after which it moved to Chittagong.

The airport experienced international operations when Indian Airlines flew to Dhaka-Tejgaon Airport and Jessore in East Pakistan/Bangladesh from Agartala.

Development and expansion

Airports Authority of India (AAI) decided to upgrade the airport to international standards, which will be the third international airport in North-East region after Imphal. The AAI has undertaken ₹438 crore (US$61 million) project to upgrade the airport to provide world-class facilities. The State Government has already provided 72 acres (29 ha) land to AAI to build a new terminal building, runway and other necessary infrastructure. The upgrade is expected to be completed by 2025, out of which the new terminal is completed, and it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 January 2022. [13] After becoming operational, flights from Agartala to Chittagong [14] and likely to Singapore will be operated. [15]

Proposal of Bangladesh expansion

The Indian government has suggested leasing some land from Bangladesh in order to install perimeter fences and landing lights. [16] The airport is often used by Bangladeshi travellers and if further utilised by Bangladesh, may be able to help relieve the heavy passenger and cargo traffic at Dhaka Airport. The Bangladeshi government is considering the matter; Bangladeshi FM Shahidul Haque compared the proposal to that of Geneva Airport, which is accessible from Switzerland and France. Ministers within Bangladesh's ruling Awami League suggested the only way such a proposal would be politically acceptable to Bangladesh is if a joint venture was proposed. [17]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Air India Kolkata (Ends 1 December 2024) [18]
Air India Express [19] Guwahati, Kolkata
Akasa Air [20] Bangalore, Guwahati
IndiGo Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Dibrugarh, [21] Guwahati, Hyderabad, [22] Imphal, Kolkata

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at IXA airport. See Wikidata query.

Accidents and incidents

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvananthapuram International Airport</span> International airport in Kerala, India

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, is an international airport that serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and the fifth international airport of India, officially declared in 1991. It is the operating base of Air India and Air India Express. The airport, spread over an area of 800 acres (320 ha), the airport is approximately 3.7 km (2.3 mi) due west from the city centre and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, 16 km (9.9 mi) from Kovalam beach, 13 km (8.1 mi) from Technopark and 21 km (13 mi) from the under-construction Vizhinjam International Seaport. It shares a visible proximity to Shankumugham Beach making it the nearest airport to a water body in India as it is, just about 0.6 miles away from the Arabian Sea. It is also the southern most international/domestic airport in the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agartala</span> Capital city of Tripura, India

Agartala is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Tripura, situated on the banks of Haora/Saidra River, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of the border with Bangladesh and about 2,499 km (1,552 mi) from the national capital, New Delhi. According to 2022 AMC data, Agartala is the second most populous city after Guwahati in Northeast India. It is India's third international internet gateway and being developed under the Smart Cities Mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagdogra Airport</span> Airport in Siliguri, West Bengal, India

Bagdogra Airport is a customs airport serving the city of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. It is located in Bagdogra, 12 km (7.5 mi) south-west from the city centre. It is operated as a civil enclave at Bagdogra Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force. It is the gateway to the hill stations of Darjeeling, Gangtok, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik and other parts of North Bengal region. Siliguri, being a major transport and economic hub, the airport sees thousands of travellers and tourists annually. The Government of India conferred limited international airport status to the airport in 2002 with limited international operations to Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi and Paro. This is the second busiest airport in West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biju Patnaik Airport</span> Airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

Biju Patnaik Airport is an international airport serving Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, India. It is situated around 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south-west of Bhubaneswar Railway Station and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the city center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prayagraj Airport</span> Domestic airport in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

Prayagraj Airport, also known as Allahabad Airport, is the domestic airport serving the city of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. Located in the Bamrauli suburb of the city, it is one of the oldest airports in India. This airport is currently under joint operation of the Indian Air Force and the Airports Authority of India. It is the fourth busiest airport in Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow International Airport, Varanasi International Airport and Gorakhpur Airport in terms of passenger traffic and aircraft movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tripuri people</span> Ethnic group of North-East India and Bangladesh

The Tripuri people (Kókborok: Tripuri dópha rok, are a Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnic group of Bangladesh and Northeast Indian state of Tripura. They are the descendants of the inhabitants of the Twipra/Tripura Kingdom in North-East India and Bangladesh. The Tripuri people through the Manikya dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Tripura for over 600 years starting from 1400 A.D. until the kingdom joined the Indian Union on 15 October 1949. The Tipra Dynasty was established in 590 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pune Airport</span> International airport serving Pune, Maharashtra, India

Pune Airport is an international airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India. It is located at Lohagaon, approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) northeast of the historic centre of Pune. The airport is a civil enclave operated by the Airports Authority of India at the western side of Lohagaon Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force. A name change has been proposed for the airport to Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj Airport, which has been approved by the State Government. The airport is the ninth-busiest airport by passenger traffic in India. The airport serves both domestic and international flights. In financial year 2023-24, the airport handled over 9.5 million passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport</span> International airport serving Guwahati, Assam, India

Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, or Guwahati Airport, is an international airport serving Guwahati in Assam, India. It is the primary airport of North-East India, and the 12th busiest airport in India. It is located at Borjhar, 26 km (16 mi) from Dispur, the capital city of Assam and 28 km (18 mi) from Guwahati. It is named after Gopinath Bordoloi, a freedom fighter and the first Chief Minister of Assam after India's independence. The airport is managed by Airports Authority of India and serves as an Indian Air Force base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport</span> International airport in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is an international airport serving Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located at Babatpur, 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Varanasi. Formerly known as Varanasi Airport, it was officially renamed after Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 2nd Prime Minister of India, in October 2005. It is the 20th-busiest airport in India in terms of passenger movement, and the second-busiest airport in Uttar Pradesh. The airport is awarded as the best airport in Asia-Pacific in 2020 by Airports Council International. It is the first airport in India to make announcements in Sanskrit language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibrugarh Airport</span> Airport in Assam, India

Dibrugarh Airport, is a domestic airport serving the city of Dibrugarh, Assam, India. It is located at Mohanbari, which is situated 15 km (9.3 mi) east from the city centre. The airport covers an area of 386 acres. There are 2 aerobridges linked with the terminal. The runway of the airport is capable of handling aircraft like Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silchar Airport</span> Airport of Assam, India

Silchar Airport is a domestic airport serving Silchar, Assam, India. It is located at Kumbhirgram, on the foothills of the Barail Range, 29 km (18 mi) from the city centre. It was built by the British as RAF Station Kumbhirgram in 1944 and transferred to the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF). It is also a civil enclave airport as it is under the control of Indian Air Force.

The Twipra Kingdom was one of the largest historical kingdoms of the Tripuri people in Northeast India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur</span> Maharaja

Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur was a king of Tripura State.He is popularly known as "The Architect Of Modern Tripura"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bir Tikendrajit International Airport</span> Airport in Manipur, India

Bir Tikendrajit International Airport(IATA: IMF, ICAO: VEIM), also known as Imphal Airport, and formerly known as Tulihal International Airport, is an international airport serving Imphal, the capital of Manipur, India, located 7 km south from the city centre. It is the second largest and the third-busiest airport in North-East India after Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati and Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala. The airport replaced the former Koirengei Airfield in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodhpur Airport</span> Airport in Jodhpur, India

Jodhpur Airport is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and shares its airside with the Jodhpur Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma</span> Indian politician (born 1978)

Pradyot Manikya Deb Barma is the current titular King (Maharaja) and statesman from Tripura. He was born in New Delhi, and now resides in Agartala, Tripura. He also served as the editor of TNT-The Northeast Today. He is the current chairman of The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance also known as TIPRA Motha. He is known as 'Bubagra' among his people and is one of the active voices for the rights of Indigenous Tripuri people of Tripura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neermahal</span> Water Palace in Tripura, India

Neermahal also known as Twijilikma Nuyung is a former royal palace of Tripura Kingdom, built by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya bahadur in 1930. It is also the largest water palace in India. The palace is situated in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake, in Melaghar 53 kilometers away from Agartala, the capital of Tripura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorakhpur Airport</span> Domestic airport in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Gorakhpur Airport is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Gorakhpur, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) operates it as a civil enclave at the Air Force base. The airport is located 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city centre. The airport covers an area of 0.71 acres (0.29 ha). In June 2017, the passenger terminal was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. It is the third busiest airport in Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow International Airport and Varanasi International Airport in terms of passenger traffic and aircraft movements.

Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya DebBarma Bahadur was the 185th and last King of Tripura, a princely state in northeastern India. His formal coronation was held in 1941, but he never gained the powers of a king.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Tripura</span>

Tripura is a state in the North-East India and the third smallest state in India. Tripura is widely regarded as a beautiful destination, appreciated for its picturesque landscape and delightful climate. The tourism in Tripura is maintained by TTDCL, a state government owned enterprise.

References

  1. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Change of name of Agartala Airport" (PDF). EGazette. Government of India. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Agartala Airport to be named after Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore". The Hindu. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  6. ↑ Deb, Debraj (30 October 2017). "Agartala airport to be named after king". Telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Agartala airport renamed Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, after Tripura's last king". cnbctv18.com. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Agartala airport set to launch international flight services after Centre's immigration clearance". CNBC. PTI. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Civil Airport Agartala". airportsindia.org.in. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  10. ↑ "India asks Bangladesh for land to expand Agartala airport runway". India TV. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Squadron Operational Record Books". Nartional Archives reference AIR 27/1159/3. 28 February 1943. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  12. ↑ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II . Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN   0-89201-092-4
  13. ↑ Ali, Syed Sajjad (4 January 2022). "PM Modi opens new terminal building at Agartala airport". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "International Flights From India's Agartala To Bangkok, Bangladesh To Start Operation Soon | Details Here". India.com. 15 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Tripura likely to get international flights to Singapore, Chittagong, Dhaka". newkerala.com. ANI. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "New Age | the Outspoken Daily".
  17. ↑ "Agartala Airport: India wants Bangladesh land for an expansion". 2 August 2019.
  18. ↑ "Air India Timetable". Air India. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  19. ↑ "Our Network". Air India Express. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  20. ↑ "Akasa Air Flight Network". Akasa Air. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  21. ↑ "IndiGo to commence Agartala-Dibrugarh service in Oct-2024". CAPA. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  22. ↑ "IndiGo Aug – Oct 2024 Domestic Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  23. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Agartala-Singerbhil Airport profile". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.