Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport
IATA:IXA ICAO:VEAT
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Airports Authority of India
Serves	Agartala
Location	Singerbhil, Agartala,Tripura,India
Opened	1942; 84 years ago (1942)
Elevation AMSL	14 m / 49 ft
Coordinates	23°53′24″N091°14′32″E / 23.89000°N 91.24222°E /23.89000; 91.24222
Website	Agartala Airport
Map
IXA Location of airport in Tripura Show map of Tripura IXA IXA (India) Show map of India
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 18/36 2,286 7,500 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2024 - March 2025)
Passengers 1,410,793 ( 4.1%) Aircraft movements 9,945 ( 8.8%) Cargo tonnage 5,489 ( 81.6%)
Source:AAI[1][2][3]

Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport (IATA:IXA,ICAO:VEAT); (Bengali pronunciation:[Mɔharad͡ʒabirbikrɔmbimanbɔndor]), also known asAgartala Airport,^[4][5][6][7] is aninternational airport^[8] situated 12 kilometres (7 miles) northwest ofAgartala, the capital ofTripura. It is administered by theAirports Authority of India (AAI).^[9] It is the second busiest airport inNorth-East India afterLokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport inGuwahati and 29th busiest airport in India. It is the third international airport in North-East India, after Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport andImphal Airport.

The current integrated terminal of the airport has 20 check-in counters, six parking bays, fouraerobridges, conveyor belts and passenger-friendly modern facilities and amenities like In-Line Baggage System (ILBS), Escalators, Lifts, etc. In addition to the new terminal building, a new parallel taxiway to the runway and two new hangars are being built. Another terminal, along with the runway, will be built as an extension of the airport across the border withBangladesh. This new terminal will serveBangladeshis accessing the airport without having to enter Indian territory. This arrangement is worked out as similar to theCross Border Xpress terminal ofTijuana International Airport inMexico, which is located along theUnited States–Mexico border.^[10]

The airport was designed and built in 1942 by the then Maharaja of Tripura,Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarman. It had one primary runway, 05/23, which is now used as a taxiway to Runway 18/36.

DuringWorld War II, the airport was used by the RAF nos.31 and 194 Squadrons in February/March 1943 as a supply base for theChindit operations behind enemy lines in Burma.^[11] These Squadrons returned in February 1944 to provide support to the second Chindit operation. Later the4th Combat Cargo Group (4th CCG) of theUnited States Army Air ForcesTenth Air Force, flyingCurtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft overBurma.^[12] The 4th CCG operated from the airport during December 1944 and January 1945, after which it moved toChittagong.

The airport experienced international operations when Indian Airlines flew to Dhaka-Tejgaon Airport andJessore in East Pakistan/Bangladesh from Agartala.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) decided to upgrade the airport to international standards, which will be the third international airport in North-East region afterImphal. The AAI has undertaken ₹438 crore (US$61 million) project to upgrade the airport to provide world-class facilities. The State Government has already provided 72 acres (29 ha) land to AAI to build a new terminal building, runway and other necessary infrastructure. The upgrade is expected to be completed by 2025, out of which the new terminal is completed, and it was inaugurated byPrime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 January 2022.^[13] After becoming operational, flights from Agartala toChittagong^[14] and likely toSingapore will be operated.^[15]

The Indian government has suggested leasing some land from Bangladesh in order to install perimeter fences and landing lights.^[16] The airport is often used by Bangladeshi travellers and if further utilised by Bangladesh, may be able to help relieve the heavy passenger and cargo traffic atDhaka Airport. The Bangladeshi government is considering the matter; Bangladeshi FMShahidul Haque compared the proposal to that ofGeneva Airport, which is accessible from Switzerland and France. Ministers within Bangladesh's rulingAwami League suggested the only way such a proposal would be politically acceptable to Bangladesh is if ajoint venture was proposed.^[17]

• 7 June 1970: A Fokker F27 ofIndian Airlines flying with 34 passengers and 4 crew members overran the runway at Agartala after it touched down at a higher than normal speed 2,775 feet from the threshold; however, none of the passengers or crew members died. The aeroplane was later written off.^[22]

• Airports in India
• List of busiest airports in India by passenger traffic

• Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport atAirports Authority of India

• Agartala
• Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in British India
• Airports in Tripura
• International airports in India
• Airports established in 1942
• 1942 establishments in India
• Buildings and structures in Agartala
• World War II sites in India
• Transport in Agartala
• Proposed binational airports
• 20th-century architecture in India
• Military airbases established in 1943
• Military airbases closed in 1945
• Airports Authority of India

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