Artist's impression of the airport

PATNA: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and state government have approved the design of the proposed civil enclave at Bihta airbase. Once completed, the Bihta airbase, which will serve as the city’s second airport, is expected to ease passenger load on Jayaprakash Narayan International (JPNI) airport here.

The futuristic design, which incorporates rich culture and heritage of Bihar , was prepared by a Delhi-based firm Synergy Consultants with the help of architectural team of AAI.

The AAI officials are hopeful that work on construction of the civil enclave at Bihta airbase will begin by the end of the year. In the first phase, a two-storey building is targeted to be made ready by 2022. The total project cost is over Rs 500 crore.

In the first phase, the terminal building at Bihta airbase will cover an area of 25,000 sq metre with five aerobridges and parking bays for five aircraft – domestic and international. A multi-level parking facility will also be developed to accommodate at least 1,000 vehicles.

In the final leg, the terminal building will be extended up to an area of 50,000 sq metre with five additional aerobridges and five additional parking bays. The parking capacity will also increase to 2,000 vehicles. The peak hour capacity at terminal building will be 4,000 passengers.

The garden at Bihta airbase will be adorned with replicas of Patna ’s Golghar, Bodh Gaya ’s Lord Buddha statue and other important cultural sites of the state.

The Patna district administration had acquired 126 acres of land near Bihta airbase for construction of civil enclave. Altogether 108 acres will be utilised for development of the civil enclave and the remaining 18 acres for development of amenities, including a VIP lounge, a hotel and a hangar.

According to sources at JPNI airport in Patna, the bidding process for construction of the civil enclave at Bihta will start once the AAI gets the approval from Public Investment Bureau (PIB).

Patna airport director Bhupesh C H Negi said since the estimated construction cost of civil enclave at Bihta airbase is more than Rs 500 crore, the AAI has sent the proposal to PIB for approval.

Negi said the design of the new terminal building was made taking into account the peak hour demand and anticipating growth of passenger traffic over the next 10-15 years. “To begin with, the terminal building will accommodate 25 lakh passengers annually. Its capacity will gradually increase to 50 lakh passengers per year,” he said.

The AAI is also planning to extend the runway at Bihta airbase. “Since we don’t have space to extend the runway length of Patna airport, we are expecting to get more land at Bihta from the state government to extend the runway from 8,000 feet to 11,000 feet,” Negi added.

For extension of runway and installation of CAT-II ILS, the AAI will need additional 156 acres of land on the eastern side of Bihta airbase. A proposal for additional land has already been sent to the state government, Negi said.

