India will assist Bhutan in building Gelephu Airport

India will assist Bhutan in building Gelephu Airport

The 1,000 sq km project in Gelephu might be developed, and the planned Special Administrative Region will have the autonomy and legal flexibility to transform Bhutan's economic landscape.

Bhutan has Paro, Gelephu, Bathpalthang, and Yongphulla airports, among its four airports. At the moment, state airline Druk Air handles all of the nation's foreign flights out of Paro Airport.

People with knowledge of the situation claim that negotiations are underway between India and Bhutan to construct and expand the Gelephu airport, which is close to Bhutan's Indian border. The proposal takes on importance given that the Himalayan Kingdom intends to turn Gelephu into a center for South Asian economic investment.

Bhutanese media sources state that a master plan for the airport development has been created. It suggests developing the airport, which is now over 500 acres, by increasing both its size and the length of the current runway. As well. The Airports Authority of India is in discussions with Bhutan to seek assistance in airport development, an Indian official revealed. He said that the discussions are only getting started at this time.

Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Airports: We did not hear back from the tax authorities on our inquiries.

The focal point of Bhutan's attempts to join the international economy is now Gelephu. Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck presented the ideas for the new Gelephu Mindfulness City during last year's National Day speech.

"There has never been a more significant economic shift in South Asia. With over two billion people living in our area, this is a period of great possibility and development. "A vibrant economic passageway connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia is the land connection from Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar through Assam as well as Northeast Indian states to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, as well as Singapore," King Wangchuk said during the course. said in reference to his remarks.

Increased road and rail connection with India is necessary for the Gelephu project. These goals are said to be aligned with the plan for Gelephu Airport's growth and extension, which India is supporting.

The economic landscape of Bhutan may change as a result of the planned Special Administrative Region (SAR) in Gelephu. With autonomy and legal independence, the SAR will be able to attract investment and carry out the development of the 1,000 sq km project.

Bhutan is looking to India for investment in the physical infrastructure—such as roads and airports—necessary to develop the SAR. As previously reported by Mint, Bhutan and GMR are in talks to create the SAR, which will include the infrastructure needed to turn the area into a significant economic powerhouse.

Bhutan has Paro, Gelephu, Bathpalthang, and Yongphulla airports, among its four airports. At the moment, state airline Druk Air handles all of the nation's foreign flights out of Paro Airport. Actually, the Indian Border Roads Organization built an airport in the Paro Valley in 1968. The Indian Armed Forces utilized this runway for on-call helicopter operations on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

After its first construction was finished in 2012, Gelephu's domestic airport had a number of operational and financial difficulties over time. The Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority has granted the airport an aerodrome certificate for use on international flights starting in September 2023.

Recently, the Airports Authority of India has extended its services to enable international aviation. AAI has committed to help the Bangladesh Aviation Regulator expand its infrastructure and trained labor pool in 2021.