New terminal to be built at Leh airport for Rs 200 crore

PTI

A new terminal will be constructed at Leh airport with an investment of around Rs.200 crore which will increase the passenger handling capacity, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.

With the new terminal, the peak hour passenger capacity is expected to go up to 800 from current level of 250.

State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) is operating the Leh airport, which has been seeing increased flight movements in recent times.

"Leh Airport - New terminal to be constructed at Rs.200 cr to increase peak hour passenger capacity from 250 to 800," Raju said in a tweet.

Leh airport handled little over four lakh passengers in the last financial year ended March 2106. During the same period, there were 3,434 aircraft movements.

Last month, the Jammu and Kashmir government had said it would take up with the Centre the issue of land for construction of a terminal building at Leh airport.

"As per IAF, they will hand over 11.8 acres of land to Airport Authority of India for construction of Terminal Building (at Leh airport) only after getting No Objection Certificate for the state government's land of 28 acres," the government had said.