The Bihta Airport is a proposed airport, which is being constructed in Bihta in Bihar. The two-storey Bihta Airport terminal building is targeted to be ready by 2021 for commercial flight operations. The existing Bihta Air Force Station is expanded to facilitate the operation of commercial flights. Once the expansion of the Bihta airbase is complete, it will be operational for both defence as well as commercial flights, as it is in Gaya and Varanasi. Bihta Airport is constructed to ease the pressure from Patna Airport.
History
Bihar government transferred 108 acre land to the AAI for Bihta civil enclave. The built-up area of the terminal building at Bihta would be approximately 50,000sq metres. Over Rs 350 crore is estimated to be spent on the project. Once completed, Bihta airport will have the capacity to handle 2.5 million passengers per annum. Bihar government acquired 120 acres of land for construction of the new airport. Bihar cabinet approved a budget of Rs 260 crore for the acquisition of 126 acres for Bihta airport which will be completed by October 2019. Of the 126 acres- 99 acre in Vishambhar and 27 acre in Kultupur localities from 400-odd land owners were acquired for the new airport. An elevated expressway from Saguna Mor to Bihta is going to be constructed. Of the 120 acres of acquired land for Bihta airport, 108 acres will be utilised for development of a civil enclave and the remaining 12 acres for development of amenities, including a VIP lounge, a hotel and a hangar. Airport Authority had proposed 156 acres of land to the state government, apart from 128 acres which state government is to transfer, so that length of the runway could be increased to 12000 feet, in order to install advanced category-II Instrument Landing System at new airport so that flights could land there at a visibility as low as 350m. Boeing 747 require 12,000 feet of long runways to land.
Status updates
October 2016- Bihar cabinet approved the Patnamaster plan 2031 which envisages development of a new airport at Bihta.
November 2016- Agreement reached between the Bihar government and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to expand Bihar defence airbase.
3 June 2019- Bihar Government approved a 20-km long four-lane Danapur-Shivala-Bihta elevated road at the cost of around Rs 2,000 crore. This highway will be completed by 2022 and will connect Patna to the upcoming civil airport at Bihta via Danapur railway station and Shivala Chowk. Of total 20 km length, 17 km would be elevated. The elevated portion would terminate at the junction of the Bihta-Sarmera Road near Kanhauli village. From that junction, the road would go up to the Bihta chowk besides connecting the Bihta airport; it would again be elevated at the Bihta chowk.
