Lilabari Airport or North Lakhimpur Airport (IATA: IXI, ICAO: VELR) is located in the Lakhimpur district in the state of Assam, India. It serves the town of North Lakhimpur, located 8 km (5 mi) from the town.
History
The Lilabari airport project in Lakhimpur began following hectic campaigning and lobbying by local Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Ranee Narah from 1999 to 2003. Construction of the airport had finished by 2003, and the terminal was inaugurated by then Union Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.
Current status
- As of 2013, the Lilabari airport in Lakhimpur is connected to Kolkata by an Air India Regional service on a daily basis.
- The airport is equipped with a night landing facility, and the runway is being modified to operate larger aircraft.
- As of 2020, the airport will be connected to New Delhi on a daily basis by Air Asia.
Future developments
- Airports Authority of India had requested for 25 acres of land for aviation manpower training academy at the airport and another 84 acre for expansion of runway and isolation bay from the state government, as of November 2019.