Tezu airport in Arunachal Pradesh gets a face-lift with eye on tourism, ASEAN connectivity

In another boost to connectivity in the northeast, Tezu Airport, which has been upgraded and redeveloped by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN– is ready to open. Tezu Airport, located at Tezu, a small town in Arunachal Pradesh, has been developed on 212 acres of land and is capable of handling operations for ATR 72 type of aircraft. Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Minister for Civil Aviation and Steel, along with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu will inaugurate the upgraded airport on September 24.

The airport, upgraded at a cost of Rs 170 crore, will connect Tezu with the rest of the country.

The move will also promote tourism in the state and other parts of northeast as well.

There are 17 airports now in the northeastern states.

The Narendra Modi government has been focusing on enhancing connectivity in northeast India, which had received little attention since independence. The region forms a crucial link for India as it connects not just the neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and China. That apart, it also serves as the gateway to Southeast Asia. The contours in the region have significantly changed in the last few years after the Centre pressed the pedal on connectivity and infrastructure development in the states.

The Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) has also boosted infrastructure in the northeast.

“With ASEAN engagement becoming a central pillar of India’s foreign policy direction, these states play an important role as the physical bridge between India and Southeast Asia,” Australian Institute of International Affairs noted.

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