Parliament Question: Status of airport proposals for Karbi Anglong and Doloo (Cachar) in Assam

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 975 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9th February 2026 STATUS OF AIRPORT PROPOSALS FOR KARBI ANGLONG AND DOLOO (CACHAR) IN ASSAM 975. MS. SUSHMITA DEV Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) the current status of airports proposal at Karbi Anglong and Doloo (Cachar) in the State of Assam, and whether they are at the concept, feasibility, approval, or implementation stage; (b) whether any feasibility study, site survey, or techno-economic assessment has been conducted for these proposed airports, and the findings thereof; (c) whether the proposals have been examined under any the Central scheme, including UDAN or other regional connectivity initiatives; (d) whether any land acquisition, environmental clearance, or inter-ministerial consultation issues are pending, and the details thereof; and (e) whether any timeline has been fixed for approval and commencement of construction of these airports? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (e): As per Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008, Airport Developer is required to identify a suitable site and get the Pre-feasibility Study conducted and submit a proposal to the Central Government for 'Site Clearance' followed by 'In-Principle' approval. Airports Authority of India (AAI) had conducted Pre-feasibility Study in December, 2023 for Karbi Anglong site. Subsequently, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) has identified an alternative site at Kheroni. Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had granted 'Site Clearance' to AAI for setting up of a Greenfield Airport at Doloo, Cachar, Assam. Application seeking 'In-Principle' approval under GFA Policy has been received from AAI in November, 2025. This proposal has been referred for comments/observations to stakeholder Ministries/Departments/Organizations including Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change relating to Environmental Clearance to the project. Karbi Anglong airstrip in Assam is included in the tentative list of unserved airstrips under the UDAN document. However, no bids have been received for routes connecting Karbi Anglong in the UDAN bidding rounds conducted so far. If any airline submits a valid proposal for such routes in future bidding rounds, the same will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the UDAN scheme. As per the GFA Policy, the responsibility for implementation of the Greenfield airport projects including land acquisition, R&R, funding, obtaining environment clearances etc. lies with the airport developer concerned or the State Government, as the case may be. The timeline for completion of the airport projects depends upon many factors such as land acquisition, availability of mandatory clearances, financial closure etc. ******