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Bihta Air Force Station
Indian Air Force base in Bihar From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Bihta Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Bihta, Bihar, India.[1] The military airfield lies 40 kilometres southwest of state capital, Patna, and is spread over an area of around 900 acres.[2][3]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a Civil enclave at the air base on 29 May 2025.[4]
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The 6 Care & Maintenance Unit of the IAF has been operational at this airfied since 1964, when it was first raised. The unit moved briefly to Panagarh between July 1971 and July 1972 and to Phaphmau between Aug 1972 and May 1974.[5]
In 2016, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) proposed to develop a civil enclave at the Bihta airbase to serve as a second airport for Patna. The Indian Air Force gave its consent in April 2016 for commercial flight operations from Bihta as a medium-term measure for development of air operations from Patna.[6] AAI had earlier estimated a requirement of 600 acres of land for the first Phase and another 790 acres for the second Phase in lieu of the existing Jayprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna.[7]
In October 2016, the Bihar cabinet approved the Patna master plan for 2031 which envisaged development of a new airport at Bihta.[8][9] The cabinet approved a budget of Rs 260 crore for the acquisition of 126 acres for the project.[10][11][12] Of the 126 acres - 99 acres in Vishambhar and 27 acres in Kultupur - property from about 400 land owners was acquired for the new airport in 2017.[13] AAI shortlisted Delhi-based Synergy Consultants in December 2018 to design the terminal building.[14] AAI and the State Government approved of the terminal design in July 2019.[15] The Airport Authority had proposed transfer of 156 acres of land to the state government, apart from 128 acres which the state government is to transfer, so that the length of the runway can be increased to 12000 feet.[16] Preparatory activities, including soil testing, began in April 2025, following the allocation of the remaining eight acres of land by the state government on March, completing the total 116 acres required for the project. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) awarded the ₹459.99 crore contract in February 2025, to a joint venture between Russian and Indian firms.[17]
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Of the 126 acres of land acquired by the State Government near Bihta airbase, 108 acres will be used by AAI to build the civil enclave while the remaining 18 acres will be used by the State Government for development of amenities, including a VIP lounge, a hotel and a hangar.[18][19] The 20-km long four-lane Danapur-Bihta Elevated Road to be built at a cost of around Rs 2,000 crore, will connect the airport with the city.[20]
The terminal building of the civil enclave will have the capacity to cater up to 2.5 million passengers per annum. It will be two-storied, with the ground floor for arrival and first floor for the departure of passengers.[19] The terminal will cover 68,000 sqm. The project is estimated to cost around ₹1,413 crore. The building will feature 64 check-in counters, 16 self-check-in kiosks, 10 Automatic Tray Retrieval Systems (ATRS), and five aerobridges. The Bihta terminal draws architectural inspiration from the Mauryan and Gupta eras, as well as Nalanda and Vikramashila. Designed for a 5-star GRIHA rating, it incorporates sustainable infrastructure including a sewage treatment plant for recycled water usage.[4] In addition, an advanced category-II Instrument Landing System (ILS) will be installed at the new airport so that flights can land there at a visibility as low as 350 m.[21]
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