PATNA, April 24 -- The Bihar government has taken a significant step towards expanding its aviation footprint, with the state cabinet approving a proposal to appoint RITES Ltd to prepare detailed project reports (DPRs) for two new greenfield airports at Sonepur in Saran district and Ajgaibinath Dham in Bhagalpur. The state cabinet on Wednesday sanctioned Rs.5.06 crore as consultancy fee to RITES, a government of India enterprise and a leading engineering consultancy firm under the Ministry of Railways, for preparing the DPRs. The government has also granted administrative approval for the consultancy. "The agency will prepare master plans, DPRs, assist in securing in-principle approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and provide end-to-end technical and consultancy support for tendering and implementation," said Nilesh Ramchandra Deore, special secretary, civil aviation department. "This is a key milestone towards enhancing regional connectivity, promoting tourism, and driving economic growth in Bihar," added Deore. The proposed airports will add to the state's existing operational facilities at Patna, Gaya, Darbhanga and Purnia, and form part of a broader strategy to strengthen air connectivity across Bihar. The state's aviation expansion is being driven in tandem with the Centre's regional connectivity scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), aimed at improving access to air travel in smaller towns. In the latest development, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on April 21 issued a Rs.35.14-crore tender for construction of a terminal building and allied infrastructure at Saharsa airport. This marks the fourth such tender in a series covering smaller airports after Muzaffarpur, Valmikinagar (West Champaran) and Birpur (Supaul). The Saharsa project involves upgrading the existing airstrip to handle Code-2B aircraft - small 19-seater planes typically used for short-haul regional operations, including tourism and disaster response. "The work includes construction of a pre-fabricated steel terminal building, a pre-engineered air traffic control tower, fire station and associated infrastructure under EPC mode, with a completion timeline of 450 days," said Deore. As per the tender schedule, the pre-bid meeting will be held on May 6 in New Delhi. Clarifications will be accepted between April 22 and May 18, bids submitted till June 8, and opened on June 16. The Saharsa tender follows a series of similar initiatives by the Airports Authority of India. On March 11, AAI issued a Rs.36.38-crore tender for the development of Birpur airport in Supaul district. A day earlier, on March 10, it had published a Rs.38.64-crore tender for the construction of a terminal building and associated infrastructure at Valmikinagar airport in West Champaran. Prior to that, on February 13, AAI floated a Rs.43.13-crore tender for the development and upgradation of the terminal building and runway at Patahi airport in Muzaffarpur district. These projects are being implemented by AAI in partnership with the Bihar government as part of the UDAN framework. The current push is rooted in policy decisions taken over the past two years. In 2024, the Bihar cabinet approved pre-feasibility studies for six potential regional airports - Birpur, Valmikinagar, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, Madhubani and Munger - to assess land availability, runway feasibility and infrastructure needs. Following these studies, the state signed a memorandum of understanding with AAI in June 2025 to develop four airports - Birpur, Valmikinagar, Muzaffarpur and Saharsa. Plans for Madhubani and Munger were dropped due to high land acquisition costs - estimated at around Rs.400 crore each - and the presence of dense settlements in the proposed areas. The combined push for greenfield airports and revival of smaller airstrips signals a multi-pronged approach to aviation development in Bihar. While new projects like Sonepur and Ajgaibinath Dham aim to tap tourism and regional economic potential, upgrades at smaller airports are expected to improve last-mile connectivity and support tourism and disaster management capabilities in flood-prone regions, said officials....