GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh government is expecting completion of Hollongi Airport by the year 2022. It will be the first airport in the frontier hill state.
“By year 2022 we hope to see completion of Hollongi Airport, a much-awaited air connectivity for #Arunachal capital #Itanagar. A review meeting today with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to expedite work on 2300m runway airport that can accommodate A320 Aircraft,” tweeted the chief minister Pema Khandu.
Hollongi airport, a greenfield airport, is being constructed at 25 kilometres away from the state capital, Itanagar. At present, the nearest airport to Itanagar is located at Lilabari in Assam. The distance between the Lilabari airport and Itanagar is 80 kilometers. The estimated cost of the Hollongi Airport stands at Rs 1, 200 crores.
Apart from being a strategically important airport to India, the Hollongi Airport will have several sustainability features. There will be a green belt along the approach road which will act as a noise barrier. A technology to harvest rainwater will be used at the airport. Additionally, energy-efficient equipment will be installed at the airport.
After completion, the Hollongi Airport will possess better infrastructure and facilities than the recently opened Pakyong Airport in Sikkim. Hollongi Airport will have a larger runway and better topography. A 2,200 meter runway has been proposed for the upcoming Hollongi airport. Jet aircraft will be able to take off and land on this greenfield airport. If needed, international flight operations will be allowed depending upon the demand.
