Bihar's Air Connectivity Soars: ₹190 Crore Sanctioned for 7 Regional Airports under UDAN Scheme

It will now be easier to reach 7 cities of the state including Purnia, Balmikinagar, Muzaffarpur by air. Under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, the Central Government has allocated Rs 190 crore to develop airports in Birpur, Saharsa, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Balmiki Nagar, Madhubani and Purnia cities of Bihar. In the 15th Project Appraisal Committee (PEC) meeting of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the capital expenditure for the development of airports under UDAN was reviewed. This decision was taken in a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Civil Aviation Secretary at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, New Delhi.

Chief Minister took special initiative for this

Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar had a meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Airports Authority of India on 4 September 2024 to promote the civil aviation sector. Then on 13 March 2025, the Chief Minister inspected the new terminal and Bihta Civil Enclave of Patna Airport. During this, the Chief Minister had directed the state government to give full support for the development of these airports.

Small planes will operate from these 7 places

On the request of the Bihar government, these 7 airports have been selected for operating flights of small planes (aircraft with up to 20 seats) in the state. In view of this, this amount has been released from the level of the Central Government for their development. These airports will be developed at the level of Airports Authority of India (AAI). For this, the state government will sign an agreement (MoU) with AAI.

Reaching Valmiki Nagar will be easy

Bihar's Tiger Reserve is located in Valmiki Nagar. The number of tourists has increased significantly here in recent years. With the development of the airport, tourists will be able to reach here in less time. Due to the ease of movement, the number of tourists is likely to increase significantly.

Aviation infrastructure will increase

The development of state government-owned airports through the UDAN scheme will increase the civil aviation infrastructure in the state. In case of disasters including floods in the state, disaster relief work is done through a large number of airports.

Objective of Udaan Yojana:-

The objective of Udaan Yojana is to connect small towns and rural areas by air. This will make air travel accessible and affordable. Under this, the development of airports will boost the local economy. New employment opportunities will be created. Better air connectivity improves access to tourist destinations, which benefits the tourism industry of the state. Air travel will save time for passengers. This will also facilitate business. Social inclusion is promoted by connecting remote and backward areas to the mainstream.

This will be a big benefit to the state

The development taking place in the field of civil aviation in Bihar will give a new direction to the economic and social progress of the state. The development of airports under the Udaan scheme will not only make air travel accessible, but will also contribute significantly to the overall development of the state.

Amount has been released for this airport

Rs 25 crore each has been released for Birpur, Saharsa, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Valmikinagar and Madhubani. While Rs 40 crore has been released for Purnia airport