AAI Upgrades Agartala MBB Airport: A Leap Towards Enhanced Infrastructure and Connectivity
Agartala, Jan 17, 2025, By Our Correspondent63
In a significant development, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has upgraded Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport from Grade III to Grade II, a move heralded by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday. This upgrade, based on passenger movement and infrastructure development, marks a pivotal moment in the state’s aviation sector.
Chief Minister Saha, sharing the AAI circular on his Facebook page, expressed his pride: "It is a matter of great pride that MBB Airport, Agartala has been upgraded from Grade-III to Grade-II based on the passenger movement and infrastructure development. My gratitude to Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi Ji for continuous support for the all-round development of Tripura."
According to the AAI circular, alongside MBB Airport, airports in Bhopal, Madurai, Surat, Udaipur, and Vijayawada have also seen a similar upgrade from Grade III to Grade II. This nationwide upgrade is poised to significantly bolster the aviation infrastructure and passenger experience.
A senior official from MBB Airport, situated 20 km north of Agartala, highlighted the benefits of this upgrade. "With the upgradation, the rank of the Airport Director will rise from Joint General Manager to General Manager, and the number of existing manpower will increase substantially. MBB Airport is the second busiest airport in the northeastern region after Guwahati airport," the official told IANS.
Tripura’s Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury recently announced that efforts are underway to declare MBB Airport an international airport. This move, championed by the Civil Aviation Ministry, aims to facilitate international flights between Agartala and Chittagong in Bangladesh. However, current regional unrest in Bangladesh has created uncertainties regarding the initiation of these flights.
Previously, it was decided that SpiceJet would operate flights on the Agartala-Chittagong route, with the Tripura government committing Rs 15 crore to the AAI for this initiative. The state government has already paid Rs 3.85 crore as a three-month advance in December 2022, alongside providing 25 police personnel to the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Minister Chowdhury further shared that the Civil Aviation Ministry is taking steps to operationalise the currently unused Kailashahar and Kamalpur airports in northern Tripura. These initiatives are expected to further boost the state’s aviation connectivity.
In a landmark event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new integrated terminal of MBB Airport on January 4, 2022, built at a cost of Rs 438 crore. Currently, 13 flights operate from MBB Airport, accommodating over 4,000 passengers daily. The new terminal, with a built-up area of 30,000 sq mt, has been designed to handle both domestic and international passengers during peak hours.
Presently, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati and Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal enjoy international status in the northeastern region. The renaming of the Agartala Airport to Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur by the Union government in July 2018 pays homage to the former Tripura king who donated land for the airport's construction in 1942. The airport served as a technical base for the Royal Air Force during World War II.