Arunachal Pradesh's Donyi Polo Airport construction completed, flight operations to start SOON

The much-awaited Donyi Polo airport in North East state of Arunachal Pradesh completes construction and is all set to start flight operations soon.

Image for representation

After a long wait, the Donyi Polo airport in Itanagar is ready to ‘take off’ as construction is now completed at the airport. The airport will soon commence flight operations from this airport. The newly-developed airport welcomes its passengers with a huge state-of-the-art entry gate at the airport, as it is made up of bamboo showcasing the shape of the state bird- the Great Hornbill. The Donyi Polo airport is the third airport in Arunachal Pradesh. This airport will boost tourism in the state and also strengthen the security of Arunachal as the northeastern state shares an international boundary with three countries, which is a 1,160-km international border with China and a few hundred kilometers with Bhutan and Myanmar. 

In October 2022, the Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo successfully test-landed its flight at the Donyi Polo airport. This will enhance the air connectivity of Arunachal Pradesh and will connect the northeastern state with the rest of the country.

The state cabinet adopted "Donyi Polo Airport" as the name of the airport as it would represent the long-standing customs and rich cultural legacy of the tribally dominant state and would also reflect the long-standing indigenous respect for the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) among the populace. The Airport Authority of India has undertaken a Rs 650 crore project to develop the airport to boost air connectivity in the mountainous areas.

The construction work of Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar @aaihollongi is completed and the airport will soon commence flight operations. The huge state-of-the-art entry gate at the airport is built up of bamboo showcasing the shape of the state bird- the Great Hornbill. pic.twitter.com/UTzmBwtudl

— Airports Authority of India (@AAI_Official) November 8, 2022

Currently, there are 15 operational airports in the northeastern region -- Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilalabari, and Rupsi (Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland), Lengpui (Mizoram) and Pakyong (Sikkim).