Kailashahar Airport Revival Delayed by Land Acquisition Issues

By  Firstdespatch Desk   Jul 30, 2026

Agartala, July 30 (FD) The proposed revival of Kailashahar Airport in Tripura's Unakoti district has hit a roadblock due to delays and challenges in land acquisition, Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said.

The airport, which played a strategic role during the 1971 Indo-Pak War, has remained non-operational for several years. Chowdhury said the state government was keen to revive the facility and that Chief Minister Manik Saha had already held discussions with officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to examine the project's feasibility.

"The Chief Minister has asked the AAI to prepare a detailed feasibility report on reviving the airport. However, the report is yet to be submitted," the minister told reporters in Kailashahar.

He said revival of the airport would require substantial land acquisition, as the existing runway is too short to accommodate even ATR aircraft.

"An estimated Rs 400-500 crore will be required for land acquisition and airport expansion," Chowdhury said, expressing hope that the Chief Minister would take an appropriate decision after the feasibility report is received.

Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader Birajit Sinha renewed his demand for reviving the airport, saying it was important not only for improving passenger connectivity but also from a national security perspective.

Claiming that Bangladesh had established an air base about 8-10 km from Kailashahar town, Sinha said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre's intervention to revive the airport. FD JK