Work on Silchar greenfield airport likely to begin this year: CM Sarma

Guwahati, May 26: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Monday, announced that construction work on the much-awaited greenfield airport in Silchar is likely to begin later this year, marking a major push to air connectivity in the Barak Valley.

The announcement came a day after the Chief Minister met with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu in New Delhi.

Taking to social media after the meeting, Sarma wrote, “Had an excellent meeting with Hon’ble Minister for Civil Aviation Shri @RamMNK Ji. We spoke at length on expanding air connectivity and infrastructure in the North East.”

The greenfield airport, proposed at Doloo in Cachar district, had earlier received site clearance from the Steering Committee of the Civil Aviation Ministry in February 2024.

According to Kinjarapu’s statement in the Rajya Sabha this February, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was required to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for “in-principle” approval to initiate the project.

With the Chief Minister’s announcement now suggesting that this final step has been crossed, the greenfield airport project appears poised to move from blueprint to ground reality.

The proposed airport is expected to greatly boost connectivity in southern Assam, opening up new economic and travel opportunities for the region.

Once operational, it will complement ongoing efforts to strengthen aviation infrastructure across Assam under the Centre’s Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme.

UDAN Gets Renewed Focus

During his meeting with Kinjarapu, the Chief Minister also discussed measures to enhance the effectiveness of the UDAN regional connectivity scheme in Assam.

“We will try and get several more first-time fliers airborne as we aim to revisit UDAN in the region, by making it more effective, vibrant and sustainable,” Sarma said in his post.

As part of the renewed focus, cities like Jorhat, Dibrugarh, and Silchar are expected to see increased air linkages to other parts of India.

Chief Minister Sarma also discussed the expansion of the Rupsi airport in Dhubri district, which recently resumed services to Guwahati and Kolkata after nearly a year-long hiatus.

The UDAN scheme has identified four key airports in Assam – Jorhat, Lilabari, Tezpur, and Rupsi – for improved regional connectivity.

Additionally, Nagaon, Misa, and Geleki have been identified as heliport locations under the scheme.

Since its inception, UDAN has helped operationalise 601 routes and 86 airports across the country, benefiting over 1.44 crore passengers, according to official data.