The airport was originally constructed to facilitate the arrival ofIndira Gandhi, the thenPrime Minister of India.[2] Between 1967 and 1982, the airport handled regular flight operations connecting Muzaffarpur withPatna.[3]
Feasibility of Proposal - Preliminary visual assessment indicates that operationalisation of Patahi Airport under ARC-2B and ARC-3C is technically feasible.
Land Requirements - Operationalisation of Patahi Airport under ARC-2B will require no additional land from the State Government. However, for ARC-3C under VFR would require 228 acres of additional land, with a further 90 acres needed for upgradation to ARC-3C under IFR. This is subject to the favourable outcome of the OLS and LiDAR surveys, removal of obstacies, compliance with the observations of this report, GSR-751(E)/GSR-770(E), other statutory directives of the Government of India, NCAP-2016 of MoCA, and necessary clearances from the MoEF&CC and other relevant Ministries.
Runway Characteristics - For ARC-2B - Runway 11/29 of 1050m x 30m having suitable PCR value at the location of existing brick runway. For ARC-3C - Runway 11/29 of 1800m x 45m having suitable PCR value at the location of runway proposed in the Master Plan document, shared with State Govt. vide AAl letter dated 24 May 2024.
Airspace - VFR operations at Patahi Airport appears to be feasible considering the current airspace classification and surrounding terrain conditions. The design and implementation of Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) appears to be technically feasible at Patahi Airport. However, an OLS survey needs to be carried out for the final assessment of feasibility of IFP.
Site Surroundings & Site Topography - OLS survey would require to be conducted to identify existing obstacles that need to be removed, lowered, or marked to ensure safe operations and also to create a series of surfaces that define the airspace around the airport, including approach and departure surfaces, transitional surfaces, and horizontal surfaces.[4]
The Government of India approved the operation of small aircraft services from seven cities inBihar under theUDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) regional connectivity scheme to enhance air connectivity and promote regional development.[5]
The airport infrastructure development is being executed by theAirports Authority of India, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is to be signed between the Bihar state government and AAI for project implementation.[7]
TheMuzaffarpur Airport (also known as Patahi Airport) has undergone phased infrastructure development through multiple tenders issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The projects aim to revive scheduled civil aviation operations and enable regional air connectivity under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. The airport is being developed to handle Code-2B category aircraft and associated infrastructure.
The combined investment under both tenders amounts to approximately ₹71.71 crore
On 4 October 2025, the Airports Authority of India issued a tender for the development of Muzaffarpur Airport under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. The estimated cost of the project was ₹28.58 crore and it was to be executed under a composite EPC contract.[1][8]
The scope of work included construction of a pre-fabricated steel structure terminal building, a pre-engineered Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, and a pre-engineered fire station, along with development of the apron, parking areas and other associated airport infrastructure. The project was aimed at enabling operations of small regional aircraft under the UDAN scheme. The Government of Bihar also proposed operating a satellite campus of the Bihar Flying Institute from the airport.
The tender was issued with Tender ID 2025_AAI_251145_1 and reference number AAI/CHQ/ED ENGG-ER/MUZAFFARPUR/NTB/2025.
The Airports Authority of India received a total of eight bids for the project from Adyaraj Developers Pvt. Ltd., ATR Infraprojects Pvt. Ltd., Cladding Projects Ltd., Epack Polymers Pvt. Ltd., MHPL India Pvt. Ltd., B. Rai Construction Company, Saryug Gautam Construction Pvt. Ltd., and Tribeni Constructions Ltd.
The stipulated work completion period was approximately 330 days (around 11 months) from the date of award of the contract. The tender also included a defect liability period (DLP) of approximately two years following completion of the project.
On February 13 2026, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued a second major tender for comprehensive airside infrastructure development at Muzaffarpur Airport.
The tender, bearing ID 2026_AAI_267140_1, was estimated at ₹43.13 crore (excluding GST) and prescribed a completion period of 12 months, including two months considered for rain. It was issued as a two-envelope open e-tender.
The scope of work included construction and strengthening of the runway, development of the taxiway and apron, construction of perimeter roads and vehicular lanes, development of a Ground Support Equipment (GSE) area, provision of an emergency access road, construction of the Runway End Safety Area (RESA), and development of the runway basic strip along with other associated works.[9]
