Arunachal Pradesh to get its third airport on November 19; PM Modi to inaugurate

With the inauguration of the Donyi Polo Airport, the total airport count in the North-East region increased to 16.

<I>A glimpse of the new Donyi Polo Airport</I>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on November 19 inaugurate the first greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh. The Donyi Polo Airport in Hollangi, Itanagar, will be the third operational airport for Arunachal Pradesh.

The foundation stone for this airport was laid by Prime Minister Modi himself in February 2019. Work on the airport has been completed within a short period, despite the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. 

With the inauguration of the Donyi Polo Airport, the total airport count in the North-East region increased to 16. From 1947 to 2014, only nine airports were built in the Northeast. In a short span of eight years, the Modi government has built seven airports in the Northeast. 

This rapid development of airports in the region has been possible due to the special emphasis of Prime Minister Modi on enhancing connectivity in the Northeast. Airports in five northeastern states -- Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland -- have seen flights take off for the first time in 75 years. 

Aircraft movement in the Northeast has also witnessed an increase by 113 per cent since 2014, from 852 per week in 2014 to 1817 per week in 2022.