A now-defunct airport constructed by British in Assam will get a new lease of life in 2019

A now-defunct airport constructed by British in Assam will get a new lease of life in 2019

PW Bureau

The airport will now be included in the government's regional connectivity scheme (RCS), UDAN, and is expected to be operational by September 2019

New Delhi: Assam's Rupsi airport, about 15 km from Dhubri district, which has been defunct since the 1980s will get a new lease of life from September 2019 after a gap of 35 years, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the Parliament recently. The airport will now be included in the government's regional connectivity scheme (RCS), UDAN (Ude Desk Ka Aam Nagrik). Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already started construction work of the terminal building and strengthening and re-carpeting of the runway from May 2018.

On being asked when the airport is expected to be operational, Sinha said that the "probable date for the operationalization of the airport is in September 2019."

The news came to light in the Parliament recently when Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha informed the House that the "air route Guwahati-Rupsi-Guwahati has been awarded to M/S Turbo Megha Airways Private Limited under RCS-UDAN and a number of Rs 71.63 crore has been allocated under the scheme for development of the airport."

On being asked when the airport is expected to be operational, Sinha said that the "probable date for the operationalization of the airport is in September 2019."

Rupsi has a 6,000-foot-long runway located about 15 km from Dhubri town in Assam. The airport covers an area of 447 acres (181 ha) at an elevation of 131 feet (40 m) above mean sea level. The airport had been constructed by the British during World War II to supply arms, manpower and ammunition to the Allied forces.

logo
PSU Watch
psuwatch.com