Kushinagar International Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Civil Aviation | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Kushinagar | ||||||||||
| Location | Kushinagar,Uttar Pradesh,India | ||||||||||
| Opened | 20 October 2021; 4 years ago (2021-10-20) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 266 ft / 81 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°46′12″N083°54′29″E / 26.77000°N 83.90806°E /26.77000; 83.90806 | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  KBK/VEKI Location of the airport in Uttar Pradesh Show map of Uttar Pradesh KBK/VEKI KBK/VEKI (India) Show map of India | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (April 2024 - March 2025) | |||||||||||
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| Source:AAI[1][2][3] | |||||||||||
Kushinagar International Airport (IATA:KBK,ICAO:VEKI) is aninternational airport servingKushinagar,Uttar Pradesh,India.[4][5] In August 2021, the airport was licensed to operate as a customs notified airport, facilitating the movement of international passengers andBuddhist pilgrims.[6][7][8]
The airport is struggling with a number of issues that has led to the temporary closure of operations since 2023, which are hindering hassle-free operations of the aircraft operations in particular. These problems are currently being solved since the last half of 2024, and are targeted to be finished within the last half of 2025.[9]
The central government approved aViability Gap Funding (VGF) of 20% for the construction of Kushinagar Airport in 2013.[10] The airport was to be built through a joint venture between the State Government and theAirports Authority of India (AAI).[11]
The project was initially intended to be developed on thepublic-private partnership model at an estimated cost of ₹ 354crores. The State Government selectedIL&FS Infrastructure Development Company Limited as project consultants. The design was inspired by inverted canopies called "Ulta Chaata".[12][13] The Government had received 15 technical bids in 2013 from infrastructure companies for the development of the airport.[14]
In January 2014, the state cabinet cleared the project and approved the financial bid document.[6] Despite several attempts to reduce the cost and the size of the project, the government could not convince private payers about its viability. In May 2015, the state government decided to take the support of Airport Authority of India to move ahead with the project.[11]
On 24 June 2020,Prime MinisterNarendra Modi recognized the Kushinagar Airport as an international airport,[15] in part to attract Buddhist pilgrims.[16][17] In February 2021, the airport received all necessary clearances from theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to be recognized as the international airport, becoming the third international airport in Uttar Pradesh afterLucknow andVaranasi.[18]
On 20 October 2021, PM Modi officially inaugurated the airport duringAbhidhamma Day celebrations atKushinagar, stating that it would boost the aviation sector and help increase international tourism from Buddhist pilgrims around the world. On that day,Sri Lanka's Minister for Youth and SportsNamal Rajapaksa and more than a hundred members of the Buddhist clergy landed at the inauguration of the airport as the first international flight landing.[19][20][21] On 26 November 2021, the first passenger flight ofSpiceJet landed at the airport from Delhi with 74 passengers, becoming the first scheduled flight to land at Kushinagar International Airport.[22][23]
It is located 54 kilometres (34 mi) east ofGorakhpur Airport,[24] 47 kilometres (29 mi) east ofGorakhpur, 34 kilometres (21 mi) north ofDeoria, 60 kilometres (37 mi) south-west ofBettiah and 64 kilometres (40 mi) west ofGopalganj.
The airport has a single runway which is 3.2 km (10,000 ft) long and 45 m (148 ft) wide with number 11/29. Theairport apron can accommodate 5Boeing 737-900s at a time.[25]
Due to commercial non-viability, all commercial operations from this airport were shut down. The airport is now available for VVIP flights.Air India Express has indicated to start commercial operation from 15th of February 2026 on Delhi-Kushinagar-Varanasi-Bangkok Route. Hoping for other Airlines also to start there operation from this Airport soon.[26]
