Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for the Bagdogra Airport New Terminal and Redevelopment Project from Kashi today. Although PM Modi did not specifically mention Bagdogra Airport or North Bengal in his address, Civil Aviation Minister K. R. Naidu highlighted that a total of 1,550 crore would be allocated for the project.

West Bengal Governor Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose attended the event virtually, watching the entire ceremony, which was broadcast from Varanasi. Union Minister Shantanu Thakur was present at the local event. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) organised the foundation stone-laying ceremony, inviting Siliguri Mayor Goutam Deb and other local representatives. In his speech, Mr. Deb acknowledged the state government’s contribution in handing over nearly 100 acres of land for the airport’s development. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista also expressed gratitude to the state government for providing the necessary land to the AAI.

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Mr. Thakur emphasised that alongside the development of the Bagdogra Airport, the West Bengal government should implement further development initiatives around the new terminal to benefit the entire region. Several political leaders, including Jalpaiguri MP Dr. Jayanta Roy and various MLAs, attended the event. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Bista stated: “As an MP, it is my duty to fulfill the developmental aspirations of the people of this region.”

According to official sources, the first phase of the project will include a new terminal spanning 70,390 square meters, with plans to add an additional 50,000 square metres in future phases. The terminal will accommodate 3,000 peak-hour passengers, with an annual capacity of over 10 million. It will feature 10 parking bays for A321 aircraft, two link taxiways, and multi-level parking facilities. Passenger traffic at Bagdogra has surged in the last decade, growing from around 3,000 passengers and 20 daily flights to approximately 10,000 passengers and nearly 60 flights per day. However, airport facilities have remained largely unchanged during this period.