PM Modi to visit Tripura on January 4 to inaugurate new terminal building at Agartala airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tripura on January 4 to inaugurate the new terminal building of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala, official sources said.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday participated in a meeting with Special Secretary regarding the Prime Minister's visit to the state, sources informed.

Sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party also said that the Prime Minister will address a public gathering at Swami Vivekananda Stadium in Agartala.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia shall also remain present in the grand inauguration programme.

With the inauguration of the new terminal building, the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport is about to introduce itself to the list of international airports.

Agartala Airport is recognized as the second busiest airport in the northeast region after Guwahati. A sizable number of Bangladeshi passengers board flights from here to easily reach other parts of India. The New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) has been built in a span of 0.03 square kilometre area.

A range of high tech facilities have been installed here including full-body scanners and modern aprons that are able to handle Airbus-321 category airbus. The new building will be able to handle a crowd of 1,200 passengers at one time with 20 check-in counters.

In early December, highly placed sources in the Civil Secretariat said that the Government of Tripura will soon approach the Ministry of Civil Aviation seeking direct international flight linkages between the Agartala-Chittagong and Agartala-Singapore route.Mrinal Kanti Banik

According to sources, the Chief Minister has sought direct flight service between the Agartala-Dhaka route during a virtual meeting with the Union Civil Aviation Minister.

"Tripura government is eager to ensure connectivity with all the South East Asian countries, especially the commercial capitals. If Agartala gets direct flights to all the commercial capitals of the South East Asian countries, Agartala will become a strategic point in the global map," sources had said.

"Even the government has decided to grant subsidies to make sure that the international flights show interest in Tripura. Only recently, the government has reduced the state's share of taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel. Similarly, some other steps shall surely be taken to attract the airlines operating international flights", the source added.

The Chief Minister, while inaugurating the Destination Tripura investment summit, had said that the Tripura government is wholeheartedly trying to bring international flights to MBB Airport in Agartala.

( With inputs from ANI )

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