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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Purnia,Katihar | ||||||||||
| Location | Purnia,Bihar,India | ||||||||||
| Opened | 15 September 2025; 2 months ago (15 September 2025) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 39 m / 129 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°45′35″N087°24′36″E / 25.75972°N 87.41000°E /25.75972; 87.41000 | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  PXN/VEPU Location of airport Show map of Bihar PXN/VEPU PXN/VEPU (India) Show map of India | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Purnea Airport (IATA:PXN,ICAO:VEPU) is adomestic airport and anIndian Air Force station servingPurnia andSeemanchal subregion inBihar,India. It is located on the western outskirts of Purnia, in Guasi (Chunapur) and is operated by theAirports Authority of India.
The airfield was built in 1963, after the1962 Sino-Indian War, as a launching base for theSiliguri Corridor by theIndian Air Force to support military logistics and to support operations in the areas ofNortheast India.[1]It was originally known as Chunapur Air force Station.[2]The base was maintained by the '5 Care & Maintenance Unit' (C&MU) of the IAF till 1974. In theIndo-Pakistani war of 1971, the airfield was used as a secondary diversion airfield. The '14 Forward Base Support Unit' (FBSU) was formed on 1 Jan 1981. During the 1980s, the airbase saw active flying byFolland Gnat /HAL Ajeet aircraft.Hawker Hunter andMiG-21FL Type-77 aircraft. Night-time operations began in 1987. SomeMiG-27s based atKalaikunda Air Force Station were temporarily operated from this Base from 2003 to 2005.[3] It has remained under the control of theIndian Air Force for decades with passenger operations scheduled to start in September, 2025.[4][5]Balurghat Airways and Jam Airways used to operate Purnia-Kolkata flights during 1956-58 and 1976–78, respectively. They, however, withdrew their services for want of adequate infrastructure.[6]
Initial talks about converting a small area of the airport into acivil enclave began in the early 2000s. This was done considering the need for better air connectivity in theKosi-Seemanchal subregion ofBihar. Commercial flight operations were launched in 2012 for a brief period, but were short lived due to inadequate infrastructure and low demand.[7]In June 2022Government of Bihar completed the acquisition of around 52.5 acres of land right next to the existing Air Force base to start construction on the civilterminal.[8] A VIP lounge, cargo facilities and other supporting infrastructure is also planned to be built. Purnia airport was selected as part ofGovernment of India'sUDAN regional connectivity scheme to boost air access in underserved regions ofNorth Bihar. In early 2025, theAirport Authority of India approved a contract to construct an interim passenger terminal.[9] The contract was worth₹33.99 crore (US$4.0 million) with construction to complete within three to four months.[10] Small protests have occurred over alleged compensation delays inland acquisition, however local officials stated payments were processed send to respective land owners.[11] The terminal and airport was expected to be operational by the end of 2025, and scheduled flights beginning afterwards.[12] This airport was opened for the public on 15 September By PMNarendra Modi.[13] Initial routes were proposed to connect Purnia toPatna,Delhi,Mumbai andKolkata enhancing air connectivity for residents inNorth Bihar and nearby areas ofWest Bengal andNepal.
IndiGo andStar Air have started direct flights fromPurnia toKolkata andAhmedabad from September 15.[4]Indigo additionally commenced direct flight services to Delhi starting October 26.
With steadily increasing passenger traffic and growing demand for better air connectivity, there is a pressing need to develop a permanent terminal building atPurnea Airport. The current temporary facility is inadequate to support expanding operations and the rising expectations of travelers. Additionally, passengers have expressed strong demand for more airlines such asAir India,Akasa Air,Air India Express and new routes, particularly to major hubs such asMumbai,Bengaluru,Patna andDelhi. Establishing a permanent terminal and expanding route networks will significantly enhance travel accessibility, support regional economic growth, and ensure thatPurnea Airport can operate efficiently and sustainably in the long term.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| IndiGo | Delhi, Hyderabad,Kolkata[14] |
| Star Air | Ahmedabad,Kolkata[14] |