Patna: A team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is set to arrive from Delhi to conduct a detailed survey of four airports in Bihar, as the state government intensifies efforts to expand regional air connectivity and bring these airstrips under the UDAN scheme.
The survey will cover airports in Motihari (East Champaran), Bhagalpur, Gopalganj and Chhapra (Saran). The inspection team is expected to reach Bihar between April 15 and April 18 to assess the feasibility of upgrading and expanding the existing airstrips.
Following the site inspection, the AAI team will prepare a pre-feasibility report for the state’s Civil Aviation Department. The report will outline key requirements, including land acquisition and infrastructure upgrades needed to operationalise the airports for commercial flight services.
The Bihar government has also written to the Centre requesting inclusion of all four airports under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme. Officials said the state has already made payment to the AAI for conducting the pre-feasibility study, in a move aimed at expediting the project.
At present, the four airstrips are at different stages of development. In Gopalganj, the runway is 6,000 feet long and 150 feet wide and is proposed to be expanded further to enable commercial operations.
In Motihari, the runway measures 1,950 feet by 300 feet, while Bhagalpur has a 3,500-foot-long and 150-foot-wide runway. Chhapra’s airstrip currently measures 3,000 feet by 100 feet.
If upgraded as planned, the airports are expected to significantly improve air connectivity across north and eastern Bihar, boosting regional travel and economic activity.
