Patna: JD(U) national working president and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha on Tuesday announced that a consensus had been reached on the expansion of runways at Patna, Gaya, and Darbhanga airports. This followed a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu and senior officials in New Delhi.
Follow-Up to Chief Minister's Review
Jha, who also chairs the parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism, and culture, stated that the discussions were a follow-up to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's recent review meeting on aviation infrastructure in Bihar.
Patna Airport Runway Extension
According to Jha, the civil aviation ministry agreed in principle to extend Patna airport's runway by 300 meters and install a simple approach lighting system to improve operational safety and capacity. For this project, approximately 49 acres of land has been requested from the state government.
Gaya Airport Expansion
The ministry also agreed to runway expansion at Gaya airport, with additional land to be provided by the state government.
Darbhanga International Airport Development
On Darbhanga airport, Jha said consensus had been reached on developing it into an international airport. He noted that the process of acquiring 90 acres of land for extending the runway to 12,000 feet and installing a modern lighting system had been completed. The land will be handed over to the Airports Authority of India within two weeks.
Jha expressed confidence: “Consensus was also reached on holding a meeting with the defence ministry in this regard. I am confident that the launch of international flight services from Darbhanga will usher in a new era of development in Mithila and the entire north Bihar.”
UDAN Scheme and Regional Connectivity
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu also discussed plans to connect Rajgir and the Buddhist circuit under the revised UDAN scheme through new helipads and regional aviation services.
Jha said the preliminary feasibility report for the proposed airport at Sultanganj had returned positive, opening fresh possibilities for development in Bhagalpur and nearby regions.
He added that tender-related processes for operating small aircraft from Birpur, Valmiki Nagar, Saharsa, and Muzaffarpur airports are expected to begin by June 2026.
Jha described Darbhanga and Purnia airports as success stories under the UDAN scheme and said tenders for a permanent terminal building at Purnia airport would be issued soon.
