AGARTALA, June 18 (TIWN): The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked the Agartala Airport authority to extend the runway to facilitate safe landing and taking off of big-size flights, official sources confirmed here today.As per the AAI’s instruction, the length of the runway should be increased from 7500 to 8000 meters. If the runway is extended upto 8000 meters, big size planes including cargo flights could easily land and take off from the Agartala Airport, said Director of Agartala Airport SD Barman.

He said the recent move of extension of runway is the part of the face-lift project for the Agartala Airport envisaged by the AAI and the state government.

To extend the runway, there is no required to acquire land as the Agartala Airport has own land to execute the plan. However, land will be required to expand the basic strip of the runway.

“Land will be required to expand the basic strip of the runway. And it will be better if the government arranges land from northern side of Narayanpur”, said another official of the AAI.

The state government has already allotted about 72 acres of land to AAI to push the Rs 300-crore Agartala airport upgradation plan.

The AAI has been incurring a loss of Rs 9 crore every year from Agartala, which also prompted the aviation body to push for the modernization of the airport.

At least two hangers will be built for parking six Boeing aircrafts and four aerobridges with the extension provisions of two more would be added to the terminal building for passengers' safety and comfort.

The expansion of the airport will be complete within the next three years bringing about 500 acres of land under the new terminal building and run-way.