Guwahati Airport- Recognized as one of the Busiest Airports in the Country

It is indeed a matter of great significance that the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati has fast emerged as one of the busiest airports in the whole of India. This airport, which till three decades ago was handling only two or three flights a day, is today handling over 120 commercial flights – both arrival and departure – in addition to chartered flights and aircrafts belonging to the Indian Air Force. It is indeed amazing that the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport had registered over six million footfalls during 2018-19, which is a tremendous 27.46 per cent increase over the figure of 2017-18. As officials in the Airports Authority of India have said, the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport handled 55,066 aircraft movements during 2018-19 – which is a 20.99 per cent increase of aircraft movement over the previous twelve months. Likewise, cargo movement has also correspondingly increased, from 21,676 metric tonnes in 2017-18 to over 23,847 metric tonnes in 2018-19. Moreover, the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport has also started direct custom clearance of air cargo in November 2018, with fresh vegetable sourced from Assam being now directly exported to the markets of Dubai. A total of about 810 kg of vegetables, including pointed gourd, green seem, black seem, turnip, cucumber, brinjal, lemon etc. were sent by an Air India cargo plane from this airport on November 19, 2018, showing rays of hope for the local farmers to now look at markets abroad. Another consignment comprising flat beans, brinjal and radish sourced from Assam villages was sent to London and Doha through the newly established direct custom clearance facility in the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport. With the government of India laying increased importance on aggressively implementing its Act East Policy, the importance of the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport is only on the rise. Though enough needs to be done to popularize the Northeastern region as a popular tourist destination among the people of countries of South-East Asia, visitors indeed are beginning to arrive, though in small numbers, especially from the academic and scientific circles to different states of the region. While the Northeastern region requires aggressive marketing in South-East Asia and beyond, the government too has to look at Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport with a more futuristic focus. Work on a new swanly terminal building for the airport has already started, and Guwahati will soon have a new building spread over 90,000 sq metres, equipped with world-class passenger facilities. Simultaneously, Guwahati as a city too has to grow up to meet the increasing and new demand that will arise with the growth of the airport. Also is important to develop the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport as a hub for the entire Northeast, with daily direct flights to all other airports in the region. Unfortunately, right now, even as the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport is becoming the topic of such good news, it is yet to be connected with a direct daily flight to Aizawl.