This document summarizes the Indian government's response to a parliamentary question regarding the expansion of Raxaul Airport in Bihar. As of July 24, 2025, 209.471 acres of land have been mutated to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). AAI has requested an additional 139 acres from the Bihar state government to accommodate A320 aircraft operations; this land has not yet been allotted, and any land acquisition is the responsibility of the state government. The question also inquired about compensation to approximately 400 affected landowners (raiyats); however, the response does not provide specific details on compensation procedures or the number of farmers compensated to date, as this falls under the purview of the state government. Raxaul Airport is included in the UDAN scheme, and bids have been received for routes connecting Raxaul using 8-seater aircraft under the UDAN 5.2 round. The commencement of operations is contingent upon the airport's readiness. The government acknowledges the potential for economic development in East Champaran and nearby border areas of Nepal due to the airport's operationalization, referencing an ICAO study indicating significant output and employment multipliers for the aviation sector (3.25 and 6.10 respectively). Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, provided the answer to the Lok Sabha.
Key Entities Referenced
Raxaul Airport: An airport in Raxaul, Bihar, undergoing expansion.
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The Indian government ministry responsible for the formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to civil aviation in India.
Airports Authority of India AAI: The organization that owns Raxaul Airport and is requesting additional land for its development.
UDAN scheme: A regional airport development and Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the Government of India, with the objective of "letting the common citizen of the country fly".
East Champaran: A district in Bihar, India, where Raxaul Airport is located.
Bihar: The state in India where Raxaul and East Champaran are located and from where additional land is requested for the expansion of Raxaul Airport.
Shri Murlidhar Mohol: Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 887
th
(To be answered on the 24 July 2025)
EXPANSION OF RAXAUL AIRPORT
887. DR. SANJAY JAISWAL
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) the current status of land acquisition for the expansion of Raxaul Airport
along with the total land area acquired so far for the said purpose;
(b) whether it is true that land belonging to approximately 400 raiyats
(landholders) is being acquired for Raxaul Airport;
(c) if so, the details thereof along with the procedure being followed by the
Government to compensate the affected farmers and the number of the
farmers who have been compensated so far;
(d) the time by which the Raxaul Airport is likely to be made operational
under the UDAN scheme and the tentative date for the commencement of
commercial flights from there; and
(e) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of the potential
impact of the operationalization of Raxaul Airport on the economy and civic
infrastructure of East Champaran and nearby border areas of Nepal and if
so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Murlidhar Mohol)
(a) to (c): The Raxaul airport belongs to the Airports Authority of India
(AAI). Mutation of 209.471 acres of land has been done. AAI has requested an
additional 139 acres of land from the State Government of Bihar to develop
Raxaul Airport for the operation of A320-type aircraft, which is yet to be
allotted. Land acquisition, if any, is to be done by the State Government.
(d) & (e): Raxaul airstrip in Bihar is included in the list of unserved airstrips
under the UDAN scheme. During the UDAN 5.2 round, bids have been
received for routes connecting Raxaul with 8-seater type of aircraft.
Commencement of operations is subject to the readiness of the airport.RCS-UDAN has provided an impetus to the economic development of remote
regions and contributed to a more equitable and inclusive growth in economic
activity across the country. It has provided a boost to the economy with
enhanced connectivity to industrial hubs, tourist destinations and made trade
more efficient. As per an ICAO study - "Economic benefits of civil aviation:
ripples of prosperity", the output and employment multipliers of aviation are
3.25 and 6.10 respectively. This implies that every 100 Rupees spent on air
transport contributes to 325 Rupees worth of benefits, and every 100 direct
jobs in air transport result in 610 jobs in the economy as a whole.
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