Land has been acquired in Imphal for setting up the first international airport for Manipur. The state’s special significance lies in its close ties with neighbouring Myanmar. Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is upbeat about the airport calling it his dream project. Guwahati has been an international airport for years but Imphal has no such long-distance air connectivity. However, with India strengthening its bond with Myanmar and pushing ahead with its Look East policy, Manipur is expected to be a regional hub for international flights to South East Asia. The Centre has sent a technical team to implement its plans and to supervise the work. Imphal is set to become the first airport where 70 acres of land have been acquired for it.
Chief Minister Ibobi Singh said that he had his eyes beyond Myanmar. Manipur and other Northeastern states have considerable traffic to South East Asia. The state government is discussing the possibility of low cost airlines flying from Imphal to Bangkok. Thai authorities are responsive. Connectivity with Singapore and Malaysia is also targeted. What is encouraging is that work has started just one month after the Centre cleared the project. The existing airport building at Imphal came up in 1999. 85% of the upgradation work is already complete. The international terminal could be ready in the next 20-30 years. Imphal’s domestic airport already has night-landing facilities. The land locked state will soon have vital trade links by air with neighbouring countries boosting its economic development frequently threatened by road-blockades.