Proposal to declare MBB Airport as immigration check post now under MHA’s consideration

Agartala, Aug 30, 2024, By Our Correspondent

The proposal to declare Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala as an Immigration Check Post (ICP) is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). This development comes after the Ministry of Civil Aviation fulfilled all the necessary requirements set by the MHA for the airport's upgrade. The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Muralidhar Mohol, informed MP Biplab Kumar Deb about the progress, emphasizing that the matter is now in the hands of the MHA.

During the recent Rajya Sabha session, MP Biplab Kumar Deb actively advocated for MBB Airport to be declared an international airport. In response, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation outlined the essential criteria for an airport to achieve international status. These factors include the airport's traffic capacity, demand from airlines for international operations, bilateral air service agreements, ground lighting facilities, the presence of an Instrument Landing System (ILS), runway length, and the availability of immigration and health services.

The Ministry of Finance's Revenue Department had already taken a significant step by notifying Agartala Airport as a Customs Notified Airport on January 4, 2023. This move paves the way for the airport's further elevation to international status, contingent on the satisfaction of the outlined criteria.

In addition to his efforts to improve the airport’s status, MP Biplab Kumar Deb has also extended support to flood-affected communities in Tripura. On Friday, around 600 packets containing essential items, including food grains, were distributed to those in need in the Durga Chowmani and Biterban areas of Agartala. The relief distribution was carried out by BJP karyakartas under the guidance of the party’s state general secretary, Papiya Dutta, in the absence of the MP, who is currently out of the state.