Rupsi Airport

Rupsi Airport (IATA: RUP, ICAO: VERU) is an airport located in Dhubri District India. It lies about 17km from Dhubri.

For the military use of this airport during World War II, see Rupsi Airfield.

Rupsi Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovt of India
OperatorAirports Authority of India
LocationRupsi, District of Dhubri, Assam, India
Elevation AMSL40 m / 131 ft
Coordinates26°08′28″N 089°54′24″E
Map
RUP
Location of the airport in India
RUP
RUP (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 1,829 6,000 Asphalt
Source:,[1][2] STV[3]

This airport would help in getting more tourists to the Dooars and Bhutan and would also make it convenient for travelers to reach Phuentsholing, the principal entry point via road to Bhutan. The airport will also help those travelling to the Jaldapara National Park and the Buxa Tiger Reserve.

History
  • The Rupsi Airfield was constructed by the British during World War II to supply arms, manpower and ammunition to the Allied forces. It was used by the United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force in the China Burma India Theater. Regional airline Vayudoot used to operate services to the airport in the 1980s but withdrew services and the airport stopped functioning in 1984, following which, the State government made unsuccessful attempts to revive the airport with the joint initiative of the Union ministry of Civil Aviation and the North Eastern Council (NEC).[4]
  • The World War II era airstrip has remained defunct since the 1980s. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have begun work to revive the airfield which is expected to be operational from December 2019.[5] Civil operations to the airport will begin under the Government's Regional Connectivity Scheme.[6]

Current status
  • In May 2018, TruJet was awarded the contract to operate flights to Guwahati Airport from Rupsi under the second round of the UDAN Scheme.[7]
  • Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of the project on 22 February 2019.[8]
  • An estimated Rs. 70 crore was spent to make the airport suitable for operation of ATR-72 type of aircraft, including a 3,500 square metre terminal building. The infrastructure was made ready by October 2019.[5]
  • The AAI and IAF will jointly develop the airport for both civil and military operations. The IAF is also evaluating the feasibility of extending the runway to 10,000 feet to enable the operation of fighter aircraft.[6]

Facilities
  • The airport covers an area of 447 acres (181 ha) at an elevation of 131 feet (40 m) above mean sea level. It has one paved runway designated 05/23 which measures 6,000 by 150 feet (1,829 m × 46 m).[1]
  • Rupsi airport is also expected to reduce the passenger load on Bagdogra, which is bursting at the seams, particularly because expansion plans have not taken off as the state is yet to hand over more than 100 acres to the Centre for the extension of the terminal building and other infrastructure.[9]

See also

References
  1. Rupsi Airport at Airports Authority of India
  2. Airport information for Rupsi, India (ICAO: VERU) at Great Circle Mapper.
  3. Airport information for Rupsi Airport at Transport Search website.
  4. "Centre nod to reopen Rupshi Airport". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 27 January 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  5. "Bengal hope soars on Assam airport". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 27 October 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  6. "Work to revive Rupsi airport begins". The Assam Tribune. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  7. "Trujet to connect West, East under phase two of Udan". The Hindu Business Line. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  8. "Sonowal lays foundation for revival of World War II era Rupsi airport". The Shillong Times. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  9. https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/bengal-hope-soars-on-assam-airport/cid/1714525
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