Agartala Airport is unable to raise the cost of flying. Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport has suffered huge financial losses. Among the states in Northeast India, this airport has the highest losses.
This information came out in a Rajya Sabha report. Recently a report was submitted in the Rajya Sabha. It has been mentioned that among the airports run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport tops the list of losses in the Northeast region.
According to the data, Agartala airport incurred a loss of Rs 80.67 crore in the last financial year.
However, the airport has been making losses not only for the last year but for the last five years. In 2020-21, this airport incurred a loss of Rs 71.97 crore. The total loss in the previous three years was Rs 113.87 crore.
Incidentally, this airport is improved. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly constructed and state-of-the-art terminal building of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in January last year.
The airport area of earlier 10 thousand square meters has been increased to 30 thousand square meters.
As a result, 1,200 passengers can stay at this airport during ‘peak hours’. About 3 million passengers can travel annually. 450 crore rupees are spent for this.
However, only Agartala airport is suffering huge losses while other airports in Northeast India are also suffering.
AAI operates ten airports in the area. It has been reported that a huge financial burden is placed on the shoulders of the government in managing these airports.
Last year, Imphal airport was next to Agartala in the fleet of losses. There is a loss of about 26 crore rupees. Also Dimapur suffered a loss of Rs 22.26 crore, Dibrugarh Rs 18.67 crore and Shillong Airport Rs 10.65 crore.
Among the airports with lesser losses are Assam’s Tezpur (Rs 3.32 crore loss), Jorhat (Rs 3.94 crore), Silchar (Rs 5.92 crore) and Arunachal Pradesh’s Teju Airport (Rs 6.95 crore).
The report also informed why there are so many losses in Agartala. It is said that the airport is built to world standards but there is a lack of staff. Also there is not much money available to ‘land’ there. AAI only gets paid for leaving the plane.
With this, there is supposed to be profit from the commercial space. But there are empty cafes or shops.
There is no income from this. As a result of which the losses are increasing at Agartala airport.
