Tezu Airport

Tezu Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesLohit district
LocationTezu, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Elevation AMSL769 ft / 234 m
Coordinates27°56′32″N 96°08′02″E / 27.9422°N 96.1339°E / 27.9422; 96.1339
WebsiteTezu Airport
Map
TEI is located in Arunachal Pradesh
TEI
TEI
Location of airport in Arunachal Pradesh
TEI is located in India
TEI
TEI
TEI (India)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
04/22 4,921 1,500 Concrete
Statistics (April 2023 - March 2024)
Passengers12,048 (Decrease 27.1%)
Aircraft movements904 (Decrease 2.6%)
Cargo tonnage
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Tezu Airport (IATA: TEI, ICAO: VETJ) is a domestic airport serving the city of Tezu and adjoining Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is India's easternmost airport, operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which upgraded it to handle ATR-72 aircraft[4] with no night-landing facility.[5] Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the upgraded airport on 9 February 2019.[6] Scheduled commercial flights commenced from 19 August 2021.[7] currently it provides VFR operations only during day time.

Development

Tezu was one of five airports that were shortlisted in 2015 for the implementation of AAI's "no-frills model", which will provide only essential services needed to operationalise the airport, without compromising on safety and security in any way. With an aim to ensure low cost of operation, the airport was to have no conveyor belts, no aerobridges and only the security hold area for departing passengers was likely to be air-conditioned.[8]

In 2009–10, the upgrade of the airport, with runway extension at an estimated cost of ₹79 crore, was approved.[9]

On 22 September 2017, a test flight landed on the runway after the airport was upgraded.[10]

On 9 February 2019, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the upgraded airport.[6]

Soon after the opening of the upgraded airport, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that a new, bigger passenger terminal, a new Air Traffic Control (ATC)-cum-fire station complex, apron and runway extension would be done in a span of four years, as part of the airport's future development and the government's UDAN Scheme, also owing to the growing traffic and tourist arrivals in the state. The new terminal will cover an area of 4,000 sq.m. with a capacity of 300 passengers during peak hours. It will have five check-in counters, which will be increased to eight in the future. It will have a double-insulated roofing system, energy-efficient lighting systems, a solid waste management system, a water treatment plant and an integrated rainwater harvesting plant.

The works commenced in mid-2019, and the airport will be inaugurated again, this time by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, on 24 September 2023.[11]

Facilities

The airport has a 1,500 metre-runway, oriented 04/22, an apron for parking of twoATR-72 type aircraft, a passenger terminal building of 4,000 square-metre area,[12] capable of handling 300 passengers during peak hours. It has five check-in counters, which will be increased to eight in the future. It has a double-insulated roofing system, energy-efficient lighting systems, a solid waste management system, a water treatment plant and an integrated rainwater harvesting plant. Others are an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, a parking lot and ancillary facilities like a fire station and a fuel station.[4][13][14][11]

Scheduled commercial operations

Guwahati-Tezu-Guwahati scheduled commercial domestic flights operation commenced from 19 August 2021. The flight which takes 1 hour each way is operated by the FlyBig. This will boost the tourism in the region.[7] Tezu is covered under the UDAN scheme.

Tezu is also an ALG of Indian Military. Other nearby airports include dibrugarh Airport,Pasighat Airport, Zero Airport, Walong ALG, Itanagar Airport, etc.

Currently an Alliance Air dornier aircraft is operating between TEZU and Hollongi on Tuesday & Thursday only. An Alliance Air ATR-76 is connecting Tezu with Guwahati, Jorhat & Imphal on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Alliance Air Guwahati[citation needed], Itanagar,[citation needed] Jorhat,[citation needed] Imphal[citation needed]

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at TEI airport. See Wikidata query.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Construction work gained momentum for Tezu airport in Arunachal". The Hindu. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  5. ^ "By air or road, Tezu is now a vantage point". The Hindu. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Modi opens Tezu Airport, lays stone for Greenfield Airport". The Sentinel. 10 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Arunachal Pradesh: First commercial flight lands at Tezu". Times of India. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Govt clears five budget airports to improve regional connectivity". Live Mint. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Report to the People 2009-10". Press Information Bureau. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Test flight conducted in Tezu Airport". The Arunachal Times. 23 September 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  11. ^ a b Sharma, Sumit (24 September 2023). "Tezu Airport in Arunachal Pradesh Gets Mega 170 Crore Makeover - What's Inside". Times Now. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Flybig Launches Commercial Flight Services Between Guwahati and Tezu in India". News18. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Five towns that are being added to India's airport map". Mint. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Air Connectivity Soon in Tezu". Northeast Today. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.