Breaking another new ground in dominating regional connectivity in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to open the long-held Purnia Airport on August 25. The involvement of a civil aviation hub in eastern Bihar is the first of its kind to place the region on the map since it will be the fourth operational airport in the state, joining Patna, Gaya, and Darbhanga. The expansion is among various plans of the government to boost air infrastructure development under the UDAN scheme and make smaller cities enter the aviation map.
Purnia, in the northeast of Bihar, has been waiting to get connected with the air. With the opening of this airport, the region would be completely transformed since the region has always depended on far accessibility in terms of airports and rail connections to reach other locations over long distances. The first flights planned on the new airport facility will be commercial flights between Purnia and Delhi, which is likely to be operated by IndiGo Airlines. In the long run, other major destinations, including Kolkata, Mumbai and Lucknow, would also be opened up by rail, which would boost the movements of thousands of customers in the Seemanchal- Mithila and Koshi regions.
The airport has an advanced terminal structure, a broad runway that can handle narrow-body (Airbus A320 and Boeing 737) and a well-maintained, advanced passenger facility. Developed to cater to both civil and strategic purposes, the airport is located near the Indian Air Force base at Chunapur, and its base is common with some of the facilities in the military complex. However, two distinct terminals, including an airside infrastructure, are built that enable only civilian work to be undertaken despite its armed forces.
Purnia Airport has great potential for economic growth and development through its operationalization. Improved air connectivity shall enable the region to invite business investments, increase tourism potential, and provide easier access to medical and educational facilities available in metro cities. There is already a lot of optimism among local entrepreneurs, locally based companies and the hospitality business that the new airport will have a new economic dynamic in its wake.
Purnia and its adjoining areas are renowned for their agricultural production, labour, and rich cultural heritage. However, the region has not been developed well like the other regions of the state since it does not possess any infrastructure. The proposed Airport is supposed to close this bandwagon and provide the people of eastern Bihar with faster and more effective means of transportation.
The supposed inauguration is getting underway in full swing. There is close coordination by government officials, civil aviation authorities and airport management in ensuring that all infrastructure, safety checks, and regulatory approval are done before the event. The security measures, too, are under reconsideration as the visit of the Prime Minister would attract many people as viewers, dignitaries, and officials in addition to those residents who would come out to see the Prime Minister.
Even though the Prime Minister’s Office is yet to confirm officially, it has been said that a date has already been tentatively decided; the grand inauguration is on August 25. This has the potential to be a proud moment in the history of the people of Purnia and Bihar as a whole and marks a new age of connectivity, growth and opportunity for the local population.
