The airport currently has only one terminal, with a handling capacity of 30 lakh passengers per year (file photo)
| Photo Credit:
SANJAY SAH
A new terminal is being developed at Bagdogra Airport, located at the foothills of the Himalayas, to handle around 1,000 passengers per hour, enhancing regional connectivity and future capacity for both domestic and international travellers.
Bagdogra Airport, located in West Bengal’s Siliguri, serves as a key gateway to the hill stations of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Gangtok. The upcoming terminal will have a built-up area of over 1.2 million square feet with a climate-resilient design.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is expanding the airport with the new terminal spanning over 21 hectares. The new terminal is likely to be operational by 2028.
The airport is being designed by architecture firm CP Kukreja Architects .“This project is more than infrastructure-it is a powerful demonstration of how architecture can respond to both context and climate,” said Dikshu C. Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects.
“Our vision for Bagdogra Airport combines performance with poetry-drawing from the Eastern Himalayan landscape and embedding sustainability at every level,” Kukreja said.
The airport currently has only one terminal, with a handling capacity of 30 lakh passengers per year.
According to CP Kukreja Architects, what makes the upcoming terminal truly unique is its climate-resilient design. Positioned on flood-prone terrain, the project integrates a robust stormwater management system comprising culverts, retaining walls, and integrated drainage channels to ensure year-round safety and operability. This makes it one of the few infrastructure projects in India proactively addressing environmental vulnerabilities from the outset, it claimed.
“The new terminal will be operational by 2028,” Kukreja told businessline.
The project is part of a broader push by the Airports Authority of India to upgrade aviation infrastructure in under-served yet strategically vital regions. Bagdogra’s geographic significance, nestled between North Bengal and the Northeast, makes it a critical aviation and logistics hub for both civilian and tourism-driven travel.
Published on July 29, 2025
About the Author
