The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar and dedicated 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station to the nation. The foundation stone for this airport was laid by the Prime Minister himself in February 2019.
The Prime Minister said that Donyi Polo Airport will be the fourth operational airport for Arunachal Pradesh, taking the total airport count in the North-East region to 16. From 1947 to 2014, only 9 airports were built in the North-East. In a short span of the last eight years, 7 airports have been built in the North-East. This rapid development of airports in the region reflects the special emphasis of the Prime Minister on enhancing connectivity in the Northeast. He informed that the number of flights connecting Northeast India has doubled.
Highlighting the infrastructural developments in Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister gave the example of highway construction in remote and inaccessible areas and further added that the central government is going to spend another 50,000 crore rupees in the near future.
The airport, which is the first greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh, has been developed in an area of over 690 acres, at a cost of more than Rs. 640 crores. With a 2300 m runway, the airport is suitable for all weather day operations. The airport terminal is a modern building, which promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and the recycling of resources.
The development of a new Airport in Itanagar will not only improve connectivity in the region but will also act as a catalyst for the growth of trade and tourism, thus providing a boost to the economic development of the region.
Airports in five northeastern states, namely, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have seen flights take off for the first time in 75 years.
Aircraft movement in the North-East has also witnessed an increase of 113% since 2014, from 852 per week in 2014 to 1817 per week in 2022.