CleanupBot II at 21:22, 13 August 2023

2023-08-13T21:22:58Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Darbhanga Airport
| image = DBR Airport.jpg
| image-width =
| IATA = DBR
| ICAO = VE89<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ourairports.com/airports/VE89/|title=VE89 @ OurAirports|website=ourairports.com|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119235346/http://ourairports.com/airports/VE89/|archivedate=2018-01-19}}</ref>
| type = [[civil enclave|Civil Enclave]]
| owner = [[Indian Air Force]]
| operator = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| city-served =
*[[Darbhanga]]
*[[Mithila (region)]]
| location = [[Darbhanga]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]
| elevation-f = 171
| elevation-m = 52
| coordinates = {{coord|26|11|41|N|085|55|03|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| website =
| metric-elev =
| metric-rwy = 2843
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = India Bihar#India#Asia|
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Bihar]]
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_label = '''DBR'''
| r1-number = 10/28
| r1-length-f = 9328
| r1-length-m = 2843
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt]]
| stat-year =
| stat1-header =
| stat1-data =
| stat2-header =
| stat2-data =
| footnotes =
}}



'''Darbhanga Airport''' {{Airport codes|DBR|VE89}} is a domestic airport and [[civil enclave]] at the Air Force Station, located in [[Darbhanga]], [[Bihar]], and is owned by [[Indian Air Force]].

Darbhanga is Culture And Spiritual Region In Bihar.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_page.php?pg_id=65 |title=ATS |website=indianairforce.nic.in |access-date=2018-01-25 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705154831/http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_page.php?pg_id=65 |archivedate=2017-07-05 }}</ref> It is located just at the outskirts of the city near the NH-105 and NH-57 East-West Corridor Expressway which passes through Darbhanga.
The airport is operated by the [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI). The foundation stone for the project was laid by the Chief Minister [[Nitish Kumar]] and then Civil Aviation Minister [[Suresh Prabhu]] in the presence of state Civil Aviation Minister [[Jayant Sinha]] on 24 December 2018.<ref name="TOI1">{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/foundation-of-civil-enclave-laid-at-darbhanga-airport/articleshow/67235600.cms|title=Foundation of civil enclave laid at Darbhanga airport |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]| date =25 December 2018| access-date=16 May 2020}}</ref> Commercial flights started on 8 November 2020 and also available connecting flight for international flights.

==History==
This airport was built by [[Kameshwar Singh|Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur]] of Darbhanga when he started his own private airline. It was funded by a private aviation company [[Darbhanga Aviation]] after [[World War II|Second World War]]. He purchased three former military [[Douglas DC3]] aircraft.
Darbhanga Aviation was started in 1950 and became defunct in 1962.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://airlinehistory.co.uk/airline/darbhanga-aviation/|title=Darbhanga Aviation history from India, Rest of World|website=Airline History|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-31}}</ref>
During the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War|Indo-China War]], the airport was acquired by the [[Indian Air Force]].<ref name="TOI2">{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/First-Presidents-royal-flight-in-62/articleshow/3216567.cms |title=First President's royal flight in '62 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]| date = 10 July 2008| access-date=16 May 2020}}</ref>

== Structure ==
[[Airport Authority of India]] built an Interim Terminal Building, a taxi track, and the apron area. The runway was strengthened to handle the [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] and [[Boeing 737]] and a pre-fabricated building was erected to serve as a temporary terminal building.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indigo-and-spicejet-express-interest-in-operating-flights-from-darbhanga/articleshow/62543172.cms |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2018-01-19 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519080327/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indigo-and-spicejet-express-interest-in-operating-flights-from-darbhanga/articleshow/62543172.cms |archivedate=2018-05-19 }}</ref> The government of India had sanctioned approximately ₹100 crores for these projects.<ref>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/flight-operations-from-darbhanga-from-mid-2019-aai-at-work/articleshow/65985198.cms</ref> On 16 Feb 2021 one Apron of 167 mt X 62mt was made operational. This Apron can accommodate Two B737-800/A320 at a time making the landing of planes smoother. Earlier due to the lack of parking space, airplanes had to wait in the sky.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=Airports Authority of India |author-link=Airports Authority of India |user=AAI_Official |number=1361626080017145857 |date=16 February 2021 |title=To strengthen airports ops and to accommodate two B737-800/A320 at a time, #AAI's Darbhanga @aaidarairport is ready with a new 167 mt X 62mt apron, with a connecting taxiway and connecting road. The new apron has put in use from today onwards. #ProvidingTheBest https://t.co/MoIT84NF8l |language=en |access-date=14 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216103919/https://twitter.com/AAI_Official/status/1361626080017145857 |archive-date=16 February 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The terminal has six check-in counters, and a capacity to handle 200 peak hour passengers. A car parking facility has a capacity of 30 cars.
<ref name="HTI1">{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/patna/darbhanga-airport-cm-nitish-kumar-lays-foundation-for-civil-enclave/story-nY28XqQM29TQRhkZkf9LhN.html|title=Darbhanga airport: CM Nitish Kumar lays foundation for civil enclave |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]| date =25 December 2018| access-date=16 May 2020}}</ref>

==UDAN Scheme==
In January 2018, [[SpiceJet]] was selected to operate flights from [[Darbhanga]] to [[Delhi]], [[Bengaluru]] and [[Mumbai]], under the Government's Regional Connectivity Scheme called [[UDAN]].<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/spicejet-to-start-operations-on-udan-2-routes-from-apr-end/1090987/ |title= SpiceJet to start operations on UDAN 2 routes from April-end |date= 8 March 2018 |access-date=21 September 2020|newspaper=[[The Financial Express (India)|Financial Express]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indigo-and-spicejet-express-interest-in-operating-flights-from-darbhanga/articleshow/62543172.cms|title=Indigo and SpiceJet express interest in operating flights from Darbhanga|work=The Times of India|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519080327/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indigo-and-spicejet-express-interest-in-operating-flights-from-darbhanga/articleshow/62543172.cms|archivedate=2018-05-19}}</ref>

==Airlines and destinations==


{{Airport-dest-list
| [[IndiGo]] | [[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport|Hyderabad]], [[Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport|Kolkata]]<ref>{{cite web|title=IndiGo Airlines to start flights from Darbhanga on July 5|url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/muzaffarpur-darbhanga-airport-indigo-flight-will-fly-from-july-5-minister-sanjay-jha-said-now-there-will-be-a-reduction-in-fares-21710383.html|website=www.jagran.com|access-date=5 June 2021}}</ref>

| [[SpiceJet]] | [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport|Ahmedabad]], [[Kempegowda International Airport|Bangalore]], [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]], [[Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport|Kolkata]], [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport|Mumbai]]<ref>{{cite web|title=SpiceJet Schedule|url=https://www.spicejet.com/Schedules.aspx|website=www.spicejet.com|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref>
}}

== Future ==
The Bihar government has initiated that the land acquisition and 78 acres of the land will be provided to the [[Indian Air Force]], [[Darbhanga]] for the further planning of the permanent terminal building at [[Airports Authority of India|AAI]], [[Darbhanga]]. Another plan to develop Passenger Terminal & Cargo facilities close to NH27 is being considered by [[Airports Authority of India|AAI]]. A terminal building along with ATC (air traffic control) tower, cargo among other facilities are planned by acquiring land close to the existing airbase to start commercial flight operations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://epaper.jagran.com/ePaperArticle/18-jan-2018-edition-Patna-Nagar-page_2-13002-10358-84.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2018-01-24 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124195708/http://epaper.jagran.com/ePaperArticle/18-jan-2018-edition-Patna-Nagar-page_2-13002-10358-84.html |archivedate=2018-01-24 }}</ref> At the foundation stone laying ceremony, Jayant Sinha suggested naming the airport after famous [[Maithili language|Maithili]] Poet [[Vidyapati]].<ref name="TOI1"/>

==See also==

* [[Jay Prakash Narayan Airport]], [[Patna]]
* [[Gaya Airport]]
* [[Airport Authority of India]]
* [[Bihta Air Force Station]]
* [[Purnia Airport]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{Airports in India}}

[[Category:Airports in Bihar]]
[[Category:Transport in Darbhanga]]
[[Category:2020 establishments in Bihar]]
[[Category:Airports established in 2020]]

Darbhanga Airport - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 21:22, 13 August 2023