AAI issues tender to develop Valmiki Nagar Airport

Patna: Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary announced on Tuesday that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) e-tender for the development and upgrade of Valmiki Nagar Airport in West Champaran district.

This initiative aims to transform the long-dormant airstrip into a modern facility capable of handling Code-2B category aircraft operations.According to the tender details shared by Choudhary, the project costing Rs 38.64 crore is scheduled to be completed in 11 months. The scope of work includes the construction of a prefabricated steel structure terminal building, pre-engineered Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and fire station, and other associated infrastructure.

The primary objective is to equip Valmiki Nagar Airport with modern amenities, thereby strengthening regional air connectivity and supporting economic growth in the area.The deputy CM said the govt is making efforts to enhance air connectivity and basic aviation infrastructure across the state. He pointed out that this development follows closely on the heels of a recent tender worth Rs43.13 crore issued by AAI for the construction of the runway and related airside facilities at Muzaffarpur airport.

Choudhary described the Valmiki Nagar project as a significant step towards improving air links for Bettiah, Motihari, Gopalganj, and other parts of north Bihar, including border regions near Nepal. “The development of Valmiki Nagar Airport will be a big step to increase air connectivity in north Bihar and border areas,” he said, adding that it will provide a major boost to tourism—especially eco-tourism linked to the nearby Valmiki Tiger Reserve—trade, and overall economic activities in the region.Valmiki Nagar Airport, originally constructed in 1964 during the Gandak Barrage project and inaugurated by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, historically served mainly as a helipad for VIPs rather than a commercial airport. Located near the India-Nepal border in West Champaran district, it remained largely inactive for public flights.Recent progress under the Centre’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme includes AAI’s preparation of a detailed master plan, site inspections, soil testing, and the identification of approximately 12 acres of additional land for acquisition in the Bagaha-II block for runway extension and expansion.

The total length of the existing runway is 1,300 metres.This tender is part of a broader agreement between the Bihar govt and AAI, formalised through an MoU in 2025, for developing six regional airports: Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Saharsa, Munger, Birpur (Supaul), and Valmiki Nagar. An initial Rs150 crore was sanctioned (Rs25 crore per site) in the first phase to support these efforts. The projects aim to enable operations with smaller regional aircraft, such as 19-seaters, initially, to connect underserved areas and reduce reliance on major hubs like Patna.