Tripura Airport Revival Delayed as Land Acquisition Remains Pending.

The revival of Kailashahar airport in Tripura’s Unakoti district has been delayed due to challenges related to land acquisition, state Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said recently.

The airport, which played a significant role during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, has remained non-operational for several years. The state government has been exploring plans to revive the facility to support passenger connectivity and strategic requirements.

“The state government plans to revive Kailashahar airport and Chief Minister Manik Saha held a meeting with representatives of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to explore the feasibility,” Chowdhury told reporters at Kailashahar.

He said the Chief Minister had sought a report from AAI on the feasibility and revival plan for the airport, but the report is yet to be submitted.

Chowdhury said land acquisition was essential for expanding the airport as the existing runway is inadequate even for ATR aircraft operations. The estimated cost of acquiring land for expansion is around ₹400-500 crore, he added.

“Land acquisition is required to revive the airport because the existing runway is not long enough even for an ATR landing. It is estimated that ₹400 to ₹500 crore is required to acquire land for the airport expansion,” Chowdhury said.

Congress legislature party leader Birajit Sinha has also been demanding the revival of Kailashahar airport, citing both economic and security considerations.

“A functional airport is needed at Kailashahar for passenger service as well as national security. I have inputs that the Bangladesh government has set up an air base just 8 to 10 km away from Kailashahar town,” Sinha said.

Sinha said he would soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the need to restore operations at the airport.

The Kailashahar airport, once used for strategic purposes, remains a key infrastructure project for improving connectivity in northern Tripura and strengthening the region’s aviation network.