Patna: Two teams from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will visit Bihar between April 15 and 18 to carry out pre-feasibility studies for proposed airports at Sabeya in Gopalganj district, Motihari in East Champaran, Chhapra in Saran and Bhagalpur. The on-ground assessments mark a significant step towards strengthening regional air connectivity and creating aviation infrastructure in districts that currently lack easy access to air services.The exercise is part of the Bihar govt’s long-term plan to develop a statewide network of functional airports so that no district remains more than 200km away from an operational airstrip. The pre-feasibility studies will examine the technical viability of each site, assess potential passenger demand, determine runway length and orientation, evaluate land suitability and review overall infrastructure requirements.Civil aviation department secretary Nilesh Ramchandra Deore said the pre-feasibility study is a crucial preliminary step that results in a detailed report covering land requirements, infrastructure needs, development options and architectural layouts. “It also includes plans for land acquisition. Once this is completed, an obstacle limitation surface (OLS) survey is conducted to identify structures or natural hurdles along the runway’s approach and departure paths. Only after these stages are cleared does the project move towards the tendering process,” he said.Deore said a greenfield airport is already planned at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur and is moving ahead, with the site identified and cleared. The proposed state govt-owned airport will cater to 19-seater commercial aircraft. “The site is located within the town area and has an existing runway of around 1,300 metres, where small aircraft already operate,” he said.He added that plans for regional airports in Munger and Madhubani had been dropped due to feasibility issues. In Munger, high land prices and densely populated residential zones pushed estimated land acquisition costs beyond Rs 400 crore, even for small Code-2B category aircraft. Madhubani was set aside as it is only 30–40km from the existing Darbhanga airport. “Instead, Sabeya in Gopalganj, along with Motihari and Chhapra, are now in the pipeline. A pre-feasibility study for Begusarai airport has already been conducted earlier,” Deore told this newspaper.In Gopalganj, the focus will be on Sabeya, where an existing military airfield is being examined for possible civilian operations, including under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme. The state government has already released Rs 81 lakh to AAI for pre-feasibility studies of Sabeya and Ulao airport in Begusarai. The Sabeya airstrip, measuring about 1,800–1,900 metres, has the potential for future expansion into a larger airport.For Motihari and Chhapra, the visiting AAI teams will assess the scope for upgrading existing airstrips to improve air links in north and central Bihar. The government has allocated an additional Rs 1 crore for the combined studies of these two locations. Chhapra has an airstrip of around 1,100 metres, while Motihari also has an operational strip.Meanwhile, several aviation projects in the state have already reached the tender stage. AAI has issued major tenders for the upgradation of Muzaffarpur airport to handle Code-2B aircraft, including a Rs 43.13-crore tender for runway and airside works and an earlier Rs 28.58-crore tender for terminal, ATC tower and related facilities.Tenders have also been floated for Valmikinagar airport in West Champaran, while work is progressing at Birpur. In addition, greenfield airports are planned at Bhagalpur and Sonepur, with a major new airport proposed at Raxaul.
