India

Darbhanga Airport Receives Defence Clearance for Pilot Training Centre

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Darbhanga Airport Receives Defence Clearance for Pilot Training Centre

The Union Defence Ministry has granted a no‑objection certificate (NOC) for the establishment of a Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Darbhanga airport, bringing the proposed pilot training institute closer to reality. A letter from the Bihar civil aviation department, dated 5 November, informed MP Gopal Jee Thakur that the NOC was issued on 1 September following a request from the state government. The department said it is taking further steps to set up the FTO in line with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s directive issued at a review meeting on 18 April. The civil aviation department had approached the Defence Ministry on 14 May for the necessary consent, and the ministry cleared the proposal on 1 September.

MP Gopal Jee Thakur, chairman of the Darbhanga airport advisory committee and BJP Lok Sabha whip, called the approval a significant milestone for Mithila and north Bihar. He said the commercial pilot training institute would create opportunities for local youth and reduce their need to travel to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru for training. Thakur added that the initiative would allow talented young people from the region to pursue careers in commercial aviation and gain national and international recognition.

The state government also noted that 90 acres of land have been acquired for the proposed expansion of the airport’s runway, which is planned to be extended from about 9,000 feet to 12,000 feet to enhance infrastructure and operational capacity. Thakur highlighted a planned logistics park and cargo hub on roughly 49.99 acres near the airport, for which a revised administrative approval of ₹225.91 crore has been granted. He said the facility would link the airport with the region’s trade and agricultural economy.

The MP credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme for putting Darbhanga on the national aviation map. Commercial flight operations from the airport began on 8 November 2020.

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