Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport

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Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Airport
File:Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, Agartala (New terminal in 2022).png
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesAgartala, Tripura, India
LocationSingerbhil
Elevation AMSL14 m / 47 ft
Coordinates23°53′24″N 091°14′32″E / 23.89000°N 91.24222°E / 23.89000; 91.24222Coordinates: 23°53′24″N 091°14′32″E / 23.89000°N 91.24222°E / 23.89000; 91.24222
WebsiteAgartala Airport
Map
IXA is located in Tripura
IXA
IXA
Location of airport in Tripura
IXA is located in India
IXA
IXA
IXA (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 2,286 7,500 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2021 - March 2022)
Passengers9,01,206 (Increase56.2%)
Aircraft movements8,272 (Increase 63.4%)
Cargo tonnage3,505 (Increase75.1%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Airport (IATA: IXA, ICAO: VEAT), which is used to known as Agartala Airport,[4][5][6][7]is an international airport situated 12 kilometres (7 miles) northwest of Agartala, the capital of Tripura. It is administered by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).[8] 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. The new 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.

History[edit | edit source]

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 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.[9]

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[edit | edit source]

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.[10] After becoming operational, flights from Agartala to Chittagong[11] and likely to Singapore will be operated.[12]

Airlines and destinations[edit | edit source]

AirlinesDestinations
Air India Kolkata[13]
Akasa Air Bangalore, Guwahati[14]
FlyBig[15] Dibrugarh, Kolkata, Guwahati
IndiGo Aizawl, Bangalore, Delhi, Guwahati, Imphal, Kolkata, Shillong

Accidents and incidents[edit | edit source]

  • 7 June 1970: A Fokker F27 of Indian Airlines flying with 34 passengers and 4 crew members overran the runway at Agartala after it touched down at a higher than normal speed 2,775 feet from the threshold; however, none of the passengers or crew members died. The airplane was later written off.[16]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Annexure III - Passenger Data". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Annexure II - Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). www.aai.aero. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "Annexure IV - Freight Movement Data" (PDF). www.aai.aero. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  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. ↑ "Civil Airport Agartala". airportsindia.org.in. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  9. ↑ 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
  10. ↑ Ali, Syed Sajjad (4 January 2022). "PM Modi opens new terminal building at Agartala airport". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "International Flights From India's Agartala To Bangkok, Bangladesh To Start Operation Soon | Details Here". India.com. 15 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Tripura likely to get international flights to Singapore, Chittagong, Dhaka". newkerala.com. ANI. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  13. ↑ "Air India Timetable". Air India. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "Akasa Air Flight Network". Akasa Air. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "FlyBig Flight Schedule" (PDF). Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Agartala-Singerbhil Airport profile". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 11 May 2022.

External links[edit | edit source]


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