The airport is located at an elevation of 141 feet (43 m) above mean sea level.[6] It has one runway designated 04/22 with an asphalt surface, measuring 3,507 by 100 feet (1,069 by 30 m) without an instrument landing system. The airport can handle only flights using visual flight rules during the day. Improvements in radar as well as other runway systems have been completed, such as installation of lights on the runway, while the instrument landing system will be installed in the near future. There is presently a high security team residing in the airport which uses a non-directional beacon for navigation services. Commercial services resumed from Cooch Behar with IndiaOne Air starting flights to Kolkata on 21 February 2023.[7]
Entrance of the airport
Terminal building of the airport
Recent developments
In March 2020, lights were installed in the boundaries of the airport and the runway was repaired. Security was also increased in and around the premises.
While the longstanding demand of residents to resume flights from the airport in North Bengal remains unfulfilled for over 25 years, the Airports Authority of India revamped and operationalised the airport at Rupsi in Kokrajhar district of Assam to restart services after three decades, to handle the traffic. However, it mostly handles the traffic from Dhubri, the city it serves, and it adjoining regions from Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, etc. and does not acts as a solution to Cooch Behar, because that airport is 70 km (43 mi) from it, so it is too far to cater the traffic.
The airport's license was valid till 27 January 2021, but the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) decided not to renew the license until further notice.[8] As of February 2023, it received its license again to restart commercial operations, with daily flights to Kolkata operated by the new low-cost regional airline, IndiaOne Air.[9]
There have been talks between the Government of West Bengal and the Airports Authority of India to expand the runway length to accommodate larger aircraft.[11] Developments related to the aircraft boundary and lights were also done.
In a meeting between the Cooch Behar district administration and the Airports Authority of India in September, plans were laid to operate two flights daily from the airport. A plan for a Cooch behar to Guwahati flight service was also discussed.[12]
^"Aerodrome Chart"(PDF). Aeronautical Information Management. 1 July 2020. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
