Former Chief Minister and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday has urged the Civil Aviation Minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, to declare Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala as an international airport. Deb highlighted this request in the Lok Sabha, emphasizing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new integrated terminal building of MBB Airport on January 4, 2022, which was constructed at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
Deb pointed out that the Tripura government has contributed Rs 18.85 crore to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to facilitate aircraft operations on the Agartala-Chittagong (Bangladesh) route. The MBB Airport has the capacity to handle 1,000 domestic and 200 international passengers during peak hours, accommodating a total of 3 million passengers annually. Additionally, the airport is equipped with an instrument landing system and ground lighting system to support the landing and takeoff of large aircraft.
Deb also called for the establishment of immigration check-posts at the airport, noting its significance as the second biggest airport in the northeast region after Guwahati Airport. Currently, the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati and the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal hold international status in the northeastern region.
According to AAI sources, around 20 flights operate from MBB Airport regularly, with over 4,000 passengers traveling daily. Located a little over 20 km north of the state capital, the airport, initially known as Singerbill Airport, was renamed after Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur in July 2018. The new terminal building, with a built-up area of 30,000 sq mt, is designed to handle both domestic and international passengers during peak hours.
The airport, constructed in 1942 on land donated by then Tripura king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, served as a technical base for the Royal Air Force during World War II.
