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{{Short description|Airport of Assam, India}}
{{for|the military use of this airport during World War II|Rupsi Airfield}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Rupsi Airport
| nativename =
| image = File:Rupsi airport, Assam, India.jpg
| IATA = RUP
| ICAO = VERU
| type = Public
| owner = Govt. of India
| operator = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| city-served =
| location = Rupsi, [[Kokrajhar district]], [[Bodoland]], [[Assam]], [[India]]
| metric-elev = y
| elevation-f =
| elevation-m = 40
| coordinates = {{coord|26|08|28|N|089|54|24|E|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| website =
| pushpin_map = India Assam#India
| pushpin_relief = 1
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in India
| pushpin_label = '''RUP'''
| pushpin_label_position = top
| metric-rwy = n
| r1-number = 05/23
| r1-length-f = 6,000
| r1-length-m = 1829
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| footnotes = Source:,<ref name="AAI">[https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/national-register/RUPSI%20REPORT.pdf Rupsi Airport] at [[Airports Authority of India]]</ref><ref name="GCM">{{GCM|VERU|Rupsi, India (ICAO: VERU)}}</ref> STV<ref name="STV">{{STV|7731476|Rupsi Airport}}</ref>
}}

'''Rupsi Airport''' {{airport codes|RUP|VERU}} is an [[airport]] located in [[Rupsi Airfield|Rupsi]] (about 8.6km from Gauripur town) situated at Kokrajhar district near the border of [[Dhubri district]] of [[Assam]].<ref name="AAI"/>

This airport serves as a way for people of the lower part of Assam to travel to India's major cities and states. The airport also serves as a [[layover]] for those traveling to the [[Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Ultapani Reserve Forest]], Manas National Park, [[Jaldapara National Park]] in [[Alipurduar]] District, and the [[Buxa Tiger Reserve]] of [[West Bengal]].

== History ==
The [[Rupsi Airfield]] was constructed by the British during [[World War II]] to supply arms, manpower, and ammunition to the [[Allies of World War II|Allied forces]]. It was used by the [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Tenth Air Force]] in the [[China Burma India Theater]]. Regional airline [[Vayudoot]] was used to operate services to the airport in the 1980s but they withdrew services. The airport stopped functioning in 1984, after which the State government made unsuccessful attempts to revive the airport with the joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and the North Eastern Council (NEC).<ref name="TT1">{{cite news|title= Centre nod to reopen Rupshi Airport |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1120128/jsp/northeast/story_15060146.jsp |date=27 January 2012 |work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)]] |access-date= 6 July 2018}}</ref> The World War II era airstrip has remained defunct since the 1980s. The [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI) and the [[Indian Air Force]] (IAF) have begun work to revive the airfield which is expected to be operational from December 2019.<ref name="TT2">{{cite news|title= Bengal hope soars on Assam airport |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/bengal-hope-soars-on-assam-airport/cid/1714525 |date=27 October 2019 |work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)]] |access-date= 6 November 2019}}</ref> Civil operations to the airport will begin under the Government's Regional Connectivity Scheme.<ref name="TAT">{{cite news|title= Work to revive Rupsi airport begins |url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=may2418/at061 |date=23 May 2018 |work=[[The Assam Tribune]] |access-date= 6 July 2018}}</ref>
[[File: Rupsi Airport Runway.jpg|thumb|Rupsi Airport Runway]]
The newly-launched domestic airlines [[FlyBig]] started their operations in the Northeast region on 8 May 2021. Initially, the flight services used to connected Rupsi to both Guwahati and [[Kolkata Airport|Kolkata Airports]] only. In due course, other destinations of the Northeast will be covered. On 5 May 2021, FlyBig Airlines conducted a successful trial of its flight at Rupsi Airport. Assam chief minister [[Sarbananda Sonowal]] along with [[Bodoland Territorial Council|BTC]] chief [[Hagrama Mohilary]] had laid the foundation stone of the project on 22 February 2019.<ref name="HBL">{{cite news|title= Sonowal lays foundation for revival of World War II-era Rupsi airport |url=http://theshillongtimes.com/2019/02/22/sonowal-lays-foundation-for-revival-of-world-war-ii-era-rupsi-airport/ |date= 22 February 2019 |work=[[The Shillong Times]] |access-date= 6 November 2019}}</ref> An estimated cost of Rs. 70 crore was spent to make the airport suitable for the operation of [[ATR-72]] type of aircraft, including a 3,500 square meter terminal building. The infrastructure for the airport was made ready by October 2019.<ref name=" TT2"/> The AAI and IAF will jointly develop the airport for both civil and military operations. The IAF is also evaluating the feasibility of extending the runway to 10,000 feet to enable the operation of fighter aircraft.<ref name="TAT"/>

==Airlines and destinations==


{{Airport-dest-list
| [[FlyBig]] | [[Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport|Guwahati]], [[Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport|Kolkata]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Air connectivity boost under UDAN! Rupsi Airport in Assam to start operations from Saturday|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/airlines-aviation/air-connectivity-boost-under-udan-rupsi-airport-in-assam-to-start-operations-from-saturday/2247794/|website=www.financialexpress.com|access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Facilities==
* The airport covers an area of {{convert|447|acres|ha}} at an [[elevation]] of {{convert|131|ft|0}} above [[mean sea level]]. It has one paved [[runway]] designated 05/23 which measures {{convert|6000|x|150|ft|m|0}}.<ref name="AAI" />
* Rupsi airport is also expected to reduce the passenger load on Bagdogra, which is bursting at the seams, particularly because expansion plans have not taken off as the state is yet to hand over more than 100 acres to the Centre for the extension of the terminal building and other infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/bengal-hope-soars-on-assam-airport/cid/1714525|title=Bengal hope soars on Assam airport|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=India|first=Anirban|last=Choudhury|date=26 October 2019|accessdate=12 December 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Dibrugarh Airport]]
* [[Lilabari Airport]]
* [[Silchar Airport]]
* [[Tezpur Airport]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Airports in India}}

[[Category:Airports in Assam]]
[[Category:Kokrajhar]]
[[Category:Transport in Dhubri]]
[[Category:1940s establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Proposed airports in India]]
[[Category:Military airbases established in the 1940s]]

Rupsi Airport - Revision history

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