Direct flights between Agartala-Bagdogra and Agartala-Silchar enhance air connectivity in Northeast India. Air India Express and IndiGo resume routes, boosting tourism, trade, and regional accessibility through Agartala’s rapidly developing Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport.
Agartala is set to witness a major expansion in its air connectivity network with the launch of two new direct flight routes — Agartala–Bagdogra and Agartala–Silchar — significantly strengthening air travel within the northeastern region and beyond.
According to officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the new Agartala–Bagdogra flight service, operated by Air India Express, will commence Sunday evening from the Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala. This direct route will bridge Tripura’s capital with Bagdogra Airport, located in Siliguri, North Bengal — the gateway to the hill stations of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Sikkim.
Meanwhile, IndiGo Airlines is set to resume the Agartala–Silchar flight service on October 28, reconnecting the two Northeastern cities after an absence of nearly three decades. The route will operate twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays, bringing long-awaited relief to travelers and boosting economic exchange between southern Assam and Tripura.
Enhancing Regional Air Network
Assistant General Manager of AAI, Agartala, S. Haokip Jempu, confirmed that these new routes would make Agartala directly connected to 10 destinations across India. The capital of Tripura is already linked to major cities such as Kolkata, Delhi, Imphal, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dibrugarh, Guwahati, and Chennai.
“The addition of Bagdogra and Silchar will not only improve air accessibility for passengers but also foster trade, tourism, and cultural exchange in the Northeast,” Jempu said.
At present, the MBB Airport handles around 4,000 to 5,000 passengers daily with 13 to 16 flights operating regularly. The airport ranks 10th in India in terms of customer satisfaction index, highlighting its growing importance in regional aviation.
MBB Airport — The Gateway to the Northeast
Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, named after Tripura’s visionary monarch, is the second busiest airport in the Northeast, after Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBI).
With a newly constructed terminal building spread over 30,000 square metres, the facility is designed to handle domestic and international passengers simultaneously during peak hours.
The northeastern region of India currently has 23 airports, of which 17 are operational, including Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilabari, and Rupsi in Assam; Tezu, Pasighat, Ziro, and Donyi Polo Airport in Arunachal Pradesh; Agartala in Tripura; Imphal in Manipur; Shillong in Meghalaya; Dimapur in Nagaland; Lengpui in Mizoram; and Pakyong in Sikkim.
Tripura’s Vision for International Connectivity
Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury earlier announced that the state government is also working to launch an international flight service between Agartala and Chittagong (Bangladesh) through SpiceJet.
To support this project, the Tripura government has allocated ₹15 crore to the AAI, and already paid ₹3.85 crore as a three-month advance in December 2022. Additionally, 25 police personnel have been deployed to assist the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
However, due to political unrest in Bangladesh since August 2024, the launch of the Agartala–Chittagong flight has been delayed.
A Historical Perspective
Tripura’s aviation legacy dates back to the Second World War. Historian and writer Pannalal Roy noted that the land for the airports at Agartala, Kailashahar, and other sites was donated by the state’s royal family.
“During World War II, King Bir Bikram supported the Allied powers, especially Great Britain, and deployed a contingent of the Tripura Army. Airports at Agartala and other locations were constructed to aid Allied operations,” Roy explained.
He further revealed that in 1943, the Agartala airport was bombarded twice by Japanese fighter planes, a little-known chapter in India’s wartime history.
Boost to Tourism and Trade
The introduction of new direct flights is expected to enhance tourism and business exchanges between Tripura, West Bengal, and Assam. Bagdogra’s proximity to Darjeeling and Siliguri makes it a key transit point for travelers heading to the Himalayas, while Silchar acts as an important trade hub for southern Assam.
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Officials believe that improved connectivity will not only reduce travel time but also stimulate regional economic growth, attract investment, and strengthen socio-cultural ties within the Northeast.
