About Agartala Airport

Agartala Airport (IATA: IXA, ICAO: VEAT) is a domestic airport located 12 km (6.5 nautical miles) northwest of the city of Agartala, the capital of the state of Tripura in India. It is administered by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

It is the 2nd busiest airport in northeast India after Guwahati and is proposed to be upgraded as an International Airport. A modern Air Traffic Control tower is being set up for the purpose. Presently IndiGo operates 4, SpiceJet 3 and Air India operates 1 daily scheduled passenger flight to & from this airport.

History

The airport was designed and built in 1942 by the Maharaja of Tripura Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur. It had one primary runway, 05/23, which is now used as a taxiway to Runway 18/36.

During World War II, the airport was used by the 4th Combat Cargo Group (4th CCG) of the United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force, flying Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft over Burma. The airport was used as a supply point from which the unit air-dropped pallets of supplies and ammunition to the advancing Allied forces on the ground.

The 4th CCG operated from the airport during December 1944 and January 1945, after which it moved to Chittagong.

In 2015, AAI started the upgraded work of Agartala Airport to meet the international standards.

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