After 35 Years In Coma, Rupsi Airport Coming alive From September 2019

GUWAHATI: In comatose for long 35 years, Rupsi Airport in Dhubri district is coming alive from September 2019. This is what the Ministry of Civil Aviation has informed the Parliament recently. Constructed by the British during World War II to supply arms, manpower, and ammunition to the Allied forces, Rupsi Airport was functional until the 1980s. Now the Airport Authority of India (AAI) is going to include this airport into the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN from September 2019. The AAI initiated construction work of the terminal building and strengthening and re-carpeting of the runway from May 2018 after the Bhoomi pujan (land sanctification).

The reopening of this airport has come to light in the Parliament recently when Civil Aviation Minister of State Jayant Sinha informed the House while replying to an unstarred question that ‘the air route Guwahati-Rupsi-Guwahati has been awarded to M/S Turbo Megha Airways Private Limited under RCS-UDAN and a number of Rs 71.63 crore has been allocated under the scheme for development of the airport.”

When asked as to when the airport will be ready for operation, the minister informed in Parliament that ‘the probable date for the operationalization of the airport is in September 2019’.

Rupsi is an important airport with a 6,000-foot-long runway located about 15 km from Dhubri town in Assam. The airstrip has been defunct since the 1980s. The airport covers an area of 447 acres (181 ha) at an elevation of 131 feet (40 m) above mean sea level.

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