The Adani Group-run Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati will move to its upcoming terminal by April 2025, a senior official said.

The initial target to complete the terminal building, being developed at a total cost of over Rs 2,000 crore, was December 2024, but it got delayed by around four months due to a change in design, he said.

"Our new terminal will be ready by April 2025. The little delay was due to a change in the design to include more facilities in the building. We want to make it the most effective terminal in the country," Chief Airport Officer (CAO) Utpal Baruah told PTI.

In August 2020, the Union Cabinet accorded its approval for leasing the Guwahati airport for operation, management and development to Adani Enterprises for 50 years.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) was developing the new terminal before the management was transferred to the Gujarat-based entity in October 2021.

"We have recently prepared the master plan of the terminal and shared it with all concerned. In the first phase, we are going to have a brand new integrated terminal building, almost six times bigger than the present one and comparable with any global one," Baruah said.

The capacity of the new terminal will be 13.1 million passengers per annum (mppa) as against 3.4 mppa of the existing facility, he added.

Asked about the investment in developing the structure, Baruah said, "More than Rs 2,000 crore is being spent in the entire facility. Out of this, about Rs 1,600 crore is being invested in the terminal building, while the remaining will be used in constructing a new taxiway and expanding the runway." After the completion of the parallel taxiway, the runway capacity of LGBI Airport will increase to 34 air traffic movements from 18 at present, he added.

"We need to have an approach lighting system that can bring down the visibility requirement for pilots from 1,300 metres to just 550 metres. Besides, in the subsequent phases we have plans for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, aerocity, helipad and various allied services," Baruah said.

He said that the company has set four visions for the airport with the first being establishing connection with all the 16 airports of Northeast and major cities of the country.

"We want to develop LGBI Airport as an international hub for South East Asia. We also want to develop a cargo market in the region and introduce air transportation for perishable goods," the CAO said.

Stating that the tourism industry and air transportation go hand-in-hand, he said LGBI Airport wants to be the fillip to the development of the tourism sector in the Northeast.

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