Darbhanga Airport Receives No-Objection Certificates for Flight Training Centre

Darbhanga Airport has received the required no-objection certificates from the Ministry of Defence and Air Headquarters for a commercial pilot training centre. The approvals clear a major hurdle for establishing the centre. The report does not give a start date for training.

The airport expansion process is also under way. It includes the acquisition of about 90 acres for runway expansion and wider airport development.

Notable Points

• Historical aviation at Darbhanga: Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur built Darbhanga Airport for his private airline. Darbhanga Aviation funded the airport after the Second World War. The Maharaja purchased three former military Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Darbhanga Aviation began in 1950 and became defunct in 1962; the Indian Air Force acquired the airport during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
• Proposed runway extension: In January 2025, the Bihar Cabinet approved the acquisition of 89.75 acres for a proposed runway extension to 3,700 metres. The plan was intended to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330.