Efforts intensify to revive Tripura's historic Kailashahar airport

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has reviewed plans to restart flights at the long-dormant Kailashahar airport in Unakoti district, highlighting its strategic value near the Bangladesh border.

Saha chaired a meeting owith Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials focused on overcoming hurdles to revive the facility. The airport, which supported operations during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, has remained shut for years despite its location just 10 km from the international border.

“I presided over a review meeting with a team of Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials to resume flight service from Kailashahar airport after its revival,” Saha posted on Facebook. He noted that “an elaborate discussion took place on unresolved issues and initiatives to restart flight service from Kailashahar airport”.

The push follows a Friday meeting between AAI officials and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury. “We had a discussion on how to resume flight service at Kailashahar airport with the AAI official in my office. The Centre also wants to operationalise the airport because of its strategic location. But it involves funds for land acquisition,” Chowdhury told reporters. He added that a follow-up with the Chief Minister would finalise a comprehensive plan tackling land issues.

Tripura currently relies on Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) airport in Agartala as its sole operational hub—the second-busiest in the Northeast after Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. Reviving Kailashahar could ease regional connectivity and boost security.