Kushinagar International Airport: PM Modi To Inaugurate Airport Enhancing Buddhist Sites Connectivity — Know Its History

The Kushinagar International Airport, which PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate today, is going to be the third international airport in Uttar Pradesh, and the 29th international airport in India.

A lord Buddha statue placed inside the Kushinagar International Airport, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh today to inaugurate the Kushinagar International Airport. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the international airport at around 10 am.

 

The Kushinagar International Airport is going to be the third international airport in Uttar Pradesh. The Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi and the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow are the two existing international airports in Uttar Pradesh. The Noida International Airport, also known as the Jewar Airport, is still under construction. Kushinagar International Airport is going to be India's 29th International Airport.

 

Kushinagar is a historical place located in the north-eastern marginal area of Uttar Pradesh and is a Buddhist pilgrimage. It is the place where Gautam Buddha attained "Mahaparinirvana". 

Kushinagar International Airport

An inaugural flight from Sri Lanka carrying 125 dignitaries and Buddhist monks will land at the airport to mark its inauguration. The Sri Lankan delegation includes the 12-member Holy Relic entourage who will bring the Holy Buddha Relics for exposition.

 

The Kushinagar International Airport has been built at an estimated cost of Rs. 260 crore. It is spread across 3600 square meters. The new terminal has the capacity to handle 300 passengers during peak hours.

 

Kushinagar International Airport — A Game Changer

 

The airport will facilitate domestic and international pilgrims to visit the Mahaparinirvana Sthal of Lord Buddha. The inauguration of the airport is likely to increase the tourism inflow by up to 20 percent. Kushinagar International Airport will connect the Buddhist pilgrimage holy sites around the world and provide them with seamless connectivity.

 

Nearby districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will also be served by Kushinagar International Airport. There will be a boost in investment and employment opportunities in those regions.

 

Locals will get employment opportunities as feeder transport services and local guide jobs will witness manifold growth. The hospitality industry, including hotel businesses, tourism agencies, and restaurants will get a boost following the inauguration.

 

Due to direct air connectivity with South Asian countries, transportation will be facilitated for tourists arriving from countries like Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

 

 History Of Kushinagar International Airport

 

In 1946 under the British Raj, it ordered the construction of an airstrip in the Bhaluhi Madari Patti Village of Kushinagar. The British acquired 650 acres of land for the airstrip. Though the construction was completed within the stipulated time, it was put to no use.

 

In 1954, Buddhist followers from different parts of the world travelled to Kushinagar for the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Their flight marked the first and last time the airstrip was used.

 

On September 5, 1995, Mayawati, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, ordered the restoration of the airstrip.

 

Gulam Nabi Azad, who was in charge of the Parliamentary Affairs and Civil Aviation Ministries from 1991 to 1996, laid the foundation stone for an airport terminal on October 10, 1995. 

 

The ordinance for land acquisition was passed in March 2010, but work on the airstrip had to be halted due to protests by farmers.

 

The Samajwadi Party resumed work on the Kushinagar airstrip in 2012.

 

In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Kushinagar airstrip will be turned into an international airport.

 

On June 24, 2020, Union Cabinet Committee chairman Narendra Modi decided to recognize the Kushinagar Airport as an International Airport.