Thursday, June 5, 2008

AAI plans to modernise Agartala airport

AGARTALA,
June 4 – With the soaring air traffic in the region, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to build extra facilities in the Agartala airport and renovate two other airports in Tripura. North Eastern Council (NEC), the nodal agency for development of the area, has initiated a process to set up a dedicated airline for the region to improve air connectivity. Four more aprons would soon be constructed in addition to the existing four aprons to increase the space for aircraft parking with loading and unloading facility, sources said, adding that would help to avoid congestion in the Agartala airport. Lighting and signaling system in the airport would be modernised and other facilities relating to night landing would be increased and two more hangars would be constructed near the tarmac for keeping the aircraft at night, sources said. There is only one hangar at present. Sources also said the State Government has sent a proposal to the Centre for revamping two abandoned airports at Kailasahar in North Tripura district and at Kamalpur in Dhalai district. However, if the proposed airline comes up in the region, traffic at Agartala airport would increase. The Union Minister for Development of NE Region, Manishankar Aiyar during his visit to the State last month had said the process for dedicated airline was initiated in December which would be launched soon. – PTI

No comments: