Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (May 29) inaugurated the new terminal building of Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport, Patna, costing ₹1,200 crore.
The new terminal spans 65,150 square meters, significantly larger than the existing facility, and is designed to handle 3,000 passengers during peak hours and 10 million passengers annually.
The new terminal building has a significant imprint of Bihar’s architectural traditions, inspired by Mithila (Madhubani) art, Chhath Puja, Lord Buddha, Mahavira, and Patna Sahib Gurudwara. It includes 64 check-in counters, nine automatic tray retrieval systems (ATRS) in phase-1, five aerobridges, four conveyor belts in the arrival hall, and 11 parking aircraft bays.
The multi-level car parking (MLCP) has the capacity of parking for 1,100 cars at a time. The new terminal, which will be opened to the public from June 3 will soon have 75 operating flights daily against the existing operation of 34 flights. The annual capacity of the new terminal building would be increased to 10 million passengers from the existing footfall of 2.5 million passengers.
Foundation for civil enclave at Bihta airport
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for construction of a civil enclave at Bihta’s airport, which earlier used to handle aircrafts and fighter planes of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The civilian enclave will be constructed at the cost of ₹1,410 crore.
The new civil enclave at Bihta Airport, located 35 km from Patna, will span 68,000 square meters over 116 acres. It is designed to handle 3,000 passengers per hour and 5 million passengers annually, accommodating larger aircraft.
The objective behind launching operation of civilian aircraft from Bihta is to support the growing passenger traffic in and around Patna, improving connectivity for educational and residential areas near the city. The project will provide world-class airport facilities, further boosting Bihar’s connectivity, tourism, and economic growth.
