PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate Donyi Polo Airport TOMORROW, Here's all you need to know

The much-awaited Donyi Polo airport will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi tomorrow, Here’s all you need to know about the first greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh.

Donyi Polo airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the much-awaited Donyi Polo Airport in Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar tomorrow (November 19). This airport will write history for Arunachal Pradesh’s aviation sector as it will be the first greenfield airport in the northeastern states. The Donyi Polo airport is located at Hollongi and when it becomes operational it will boost connectivity, trade, and tourism in the hilly northeastern state. PM Modi will inaugurate the greenfield airport at 9.30 am on Saturday and leave for Varanasi and Gujarat from there. The governor, who has been monitoring the construction of the airport since its foundation laying ceremony, said that it is one of the best gifts to the people of the state by Modi.

Here’s all you need to know about the to-be-inaugurated Donyi Polo Airport

Cost of the Donyi Polo Airport

The Donyi Polo airport has been developed by the Airports Authority of India at an estimated cost of Rs 645 crore. It will have eight check-in counters and can accommodate 200 passengers during peak hours, the officials said.

There is no airport in Arunachal Pradesh, the country's easternmost state. The closest facility is at Lilabari airport, 80 km away in Assam's North Lakhimpur district.

Facilities and features of the Donyi Polo Airport

Spread over a 4,100 sq m area, Donyi Polo airport will be equipped with all modern facilities for passengers. It will have a 2,300 meter-long runway suitable for landing and take-off of Boeing 747, the officials said. The airport terminal building has a passenger lounge, airside facilities, and the public meeting venue. There are a few advanced landing grounds in the state, including in Pasighat and Tezu.

Flight services at the Donyi Polo airport

IndiGo Airlines will commence commercial flights from the airport on November 28. The naming of the airport reflects the reverence of the indigenous people of Arunachal for the sun (Donyi) and the moon (Polo). Flights connecting Hollongi, which is around 15 km from Itanagar, with Mumbai and Kolkata will operate daily barring Wednesday. A weekly flight service connecting Hollongi with Kolkata on Wednesdays will begin on December 3, the chief strategy and revenue officer of IndiGo, Sanjay Kumar had said recently.

This is in line with the carrier's vision to enhance connectivity in the Northeast and the flights are designed to cater to business and leisure travellers who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options to access destinations that are known for their tourist attractions, he said.

Besides IndiGo, Flybig airlines have also expressed interest in starting flight services from Donyi Polo airport, AAI General Manager Dilip Kumar Sajnani said.