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Purnia Airport

Purnea Airport
File:Purnea Airport Entrance.jpg
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerIndian Air Force
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesPurnea and Katihar
LocationPurnea, Bihar, India
Elevation AMSL39 m / 129 ft
Coordinates25°45′35″N 087°24′36″E / 25.75972°N 87.41000°E / 25.75972; 87.41000
Map
VEPU is located in Bihar
VEPU
VEPU
Location of airport
VEPU is located in India
VEPU
VEPU
VEPU (India)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 9,000 2,743 Concrete

Purnea Airport (IATA: PXN, ICAO: VEPU) is currently serving as an Indian Air Force Station, It is located just at the outskirts of the town at Chunapur, 9 km from the Centre.

History

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The airfield was built in 1963, after the 1962 Sino-Indian War, as a launching base for the Siliguri Corridor by the Indian Air Force to support military logistics and to support operations in the areas of Northeast 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 the Indo-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 by Folland Gnat / HAL Ajeet aircraft. Hawker Hunter and MiG-21FL Type-77 aircraft. Night-time operations began in 1987. Some MiG-27s based at Kalaikunda Air Force Station were temporarily operated from this Base from 2003 to 2005. [3] It has remained under the control of the Indian Air Force for decades and with no major plans for scheduled passenger service.[4] Balurghat Airways and Jam Airways used to operate Purnia-Kolkata flight during 1956-58 and 1976-78, respectively. They, however, withdrew their services for want of adequate infrastructure.[5]

Civil Enclave

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Initial talks about converting a small area of the airport into a civil enclave began in the early 2000s. This was done considering the need for better air connectivity in the Seemanchal region of Bihar. Commercial flight operations were launched in 2012 for a brief period, but were short lived due to inadequate infrastructure and low demand.[6] In June 2022 Government 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 civil terminal.[7] A VIP lounge, cargo facilities and other supporting infrastructure is also planned to be built. Purnia airport was selected as part of Government of India's UDAN regional connectivity scheme to boost air access in underserved regions of North Bihar. In early 2025, the Airport Authority of India approved a contract to construct an interim passenger terminal.[8] The contract was worth ₹33.99 crore (US$4.0 million) with construction to complete within three to four months.[9] Small protests have occurred over alleged compensation delays in land acquisition, however local officials stated payments were processed send to respective land owners.[10] The terminal and airport is expected to be operational by the end of 2025, and scheduled flights beginning afterwards.[11] Most Of the Work for the Civil enclave has been completed , and it is expected to be fully ready by 30 August 2025 . This airport is expected to be opened for Public in the third week of September By PM Narendra Modi. [12]Initial routes have been proposed to connect Purnia to Patna, and Kolkata enhancing air connectivity for residents in North Bihar and nearby areas of West Bengal and Nepal.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Centre blames Bihar for delay in Purnia airport work". hindustantimes. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  2. ^ "North-south feud holds up Purnia airport construction". hindustantimes. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  3. ^ "14 Forward Base Support Unit – Chunapur". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  4. ^ "AAI approves ₹33.99 crore interim terminal for Purnia Airport". PatnaPress. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Purnia back on air map". The Times of India. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Answer to Lok Sabha Question No. 4014 on Purnea Airport" (PDF). Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Key hurdle cleared for civil airport at Purnia". Hindustan Times. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Construction of Interim Terminal Building at Purnea airport". AAI. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Bihar UDAN Scheme Update: ₹190 Cr Sanctioned for 7 Airports". Bihar Say. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Purnea Airport land acquisition sparks protest by villagers". Mangalorean. 13 March 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  11. ^ "State Set to Open Fourth Operational Airport in Purnia". PatnaPress. 15 March 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  12. ^ Reporter, Staff (26 August 2025). "PM Modi to Visit Purnia on September 15, to Inaugurate New Airport". Patna Press. Retrieved 26 August 2025.