A team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) visited the long-closed Kailashahar airport on Friday to check its current condition. During their visit, they found that many parts of the airport are badly damaged and not properly maintained. The team included Agartala Airport’s Chief Security Officer S.K. Roy and other officials. They inspected different areas of the airport, including buildings, the power supply room, and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower. They noticed several problems. Many buildings are in poor condition, with leaking roofs causing water damage. Broken windows and plants growing on the rooftop of the ATC building show that the structure has been neglected for a long time.
Officials also checked whether any part of the airport land has been illegally occupied. This comes after reports that some people had built temporary shelters in the Durgapur area inside the airport. The team confirmed that these reports were true. AAI officials said they will soon take steps to improve basic facilities like electricity and drinking water at the airport. They are also studying how much land is available and what is needed if the airport is to be reopened in the future. Plans are also being made to secure the area with proper fencing. The inspection was done following concerns raised by local MLA Birjit Sinha. AAI has said that further decisions about repairing and possibly reopening the airport will be taken soon.
