Eight NE airports to upgrade in 11th plan period

Aizawl, Mar 21 (UNI) Ministry of Aviation plans to upgrade eight greenfield airports in Northeast during the 11th five year plan period, official sources said here today.

With increase in passenger traffic in the region, NE states have been pressing to upgrade the existing airports and reconstruct the abandoned airfields within the past few years.

''Centre has prioritised improvement of air, rail, land and waterway connectivity in the NE during the 11th plan and airports in Agartala, Barapani(Meghalaya), Dibrugarh, Silchar, Guwahati, Itanagar, Pakyong(Sikkim) and Kohima will be upgraded in the first phase while Arunachal Pradesh will get its first airport,'' sources said.

Passenger traffic in Agartala airport had increased by 35.8 per cent in 2006-07 while Silchar had recorded a rise by 28 per cent, Dibrugarh by 25.3 per cent, Guwahati by 44.7 per cent and Imphal by 45.9 per cent in the same period, sources added.

UNI