Patna: The proposed expansion of Patna airport has reached a crucial stage, with state govt now required to take a call on the land needed to extend the runway and improve the aircraft approach path.A high-level committee of central govt, which examined the expansion plan, has submitted its report to state govt. It has recommended extending the existing 2,072-metre runway by at least 300 metres, taking it to 2,372 metres. The extension has been proposed towards the east, in the direction of Patna Zoo.Following discussions with the committee, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has written to state development commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh with the proposed runway design and details of the land required for the project. If the proposal goes ahead, the extended runway will reach the vicinity of Gate No. 2 of Patna Zoo.The expansion will require land currently occupied by the zoo as well as several govt and public properties. The identified area includes 22.50 acres of Patna Zoo, 7.37 acres of govt residential land, 3.11 acres of road land, 2.12 acres of SSG Bihar Police, 0.92 acres of LJP office, 0.91 acres of a cemetery and 0.05 acres of Karpoori Ayurvedic Vatika.The committee has also stressed that runway extension alone would not address Patna airport’s operational constraints. An unobstructed aircraft approach area is equally important for safe landings. According to the report, an area of around 500 metres by 300 metres towards Patna Zoo is considered crucial for this purpose, and a technical team is surveying the stretch.The existing runway is 2,072 metres long and 45 metres wide. While the declared take-off distance is 2,072 metres in both directions, AAI data shows 1,938 metres is available for landing on Runway 25, while the figure for Runway 07 is only 1,677 metres. The committee has recommended the additional 300 metres to provide greater operational margin during landing and allow aircraft to operate with fewer restrictions.The approach path has emerged as another technical challenge. Sources said Old Secretariat’s clock tower is among the structures being examined because of its position in relation to the aircraft approach route. The nearly 49.5-metre-high tower had earlier figured in technical assessments as a potential obstacle, and an option to reduce its height is now being considered.Patna airport’s location has long made runway expansion difficult. A railway line restricts expansion on one side, while Patna Zoo and several govt and public properties occupy the other side.
