Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lay the foundation stone for the first phase of the Bagdogra Airport New Terminal Project via videoconferencing on 20 October.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, sharing the news and initiating preparations for the ceremony.

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The MP highlighted that the first phase will involve the construction of a new terminal spanning 70,390 square metres with future phases adding another 50,000 square meters. The terminal is designed to handle 3,000 peak-hour passengers and more than 10 million passengers annually. It will feature 10 parking bays for A321 aircrafts, two link taxiways, and multi-level parking facilities.

Bagdogra Airport, the only commercial airport serving north Bengal, caters to a wide population across districts like Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North and South Dinajpur, and Malda. It also serves travellers from Sikkim, lower Assam, eastern Bihar, and neighbouring countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, making it the second-busiest airport in West Bengal. The development of Bagdogra Airport is, therefore, vital to enhancing air connectivity in the region.

In the past decade, passenger traffic has surged from around 3,000 daily passengers on 20 flights to nearly 10,000 passengers on approximately 60 flights daily. However, the airport facilities have remained largely unchanged.

“Upgrading Bagdogra to an international airport has been one of my key developmental priorities since my election,” Mr Bista said, adding, “Thanks to PM Modi, civil aviation minister K R Naidu, and former minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for their support in realising this vision.”

Mr Bista also noted that the new terminal will be a sustainable “green building,” utilising renewable energy and maximising natural light. “Once completed, Bagdogra will be the first international airport in our region, becoming a hub for travel, tourism and trade,” he added.

He emphasised that this development will transform Siliguri, the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and the Dooars into world-class destinations for investment in travel, tourism, tea, healthcare, education, and beyond.