Mizoram may hand over airport to IAF

The Mizoram government is seriously contemplating over the proposal of handing over the lone Lengpui Airport near Aizawl, only airport it state to Indian Air Force (IAF).

Lengpui is the only airport in the country with is state-owned and is till now neither with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) or the Indian Air Force (IAF). “The Mizoram government in likely to hand over the airport to the IAF,” sources revealed.

While talking to reporters in Aizawl on Monday, Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma said that the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command of IAF, on June 24 came up with a proposal to the state government. The airport has been with the State government for the past 45 years.

Giving the details of the proposal, Lalmalsawma said that the IAF would look after the entire operational area of the airport, while the state government would manage the terminal.

According the IAF sources in Eastern Air Command in Shillong, the proposal has been given keeping in mind the strategic location of Mizoram, sandwiched between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

New Delhi has been very worried with Myanmar bases being used by North-East militant groups.

New Delhi’s plan is to convert the Aizawl airport into a military airport with a civil apron like Baghdogra in North Bengal so that it can install powerful Air Defence Radar System, highly places sources from IAF added.

On the other hand Mizoram government is also finding it hard financially to manage the overall running of the lone state-owned airport in the country, sources from Aizawl said.
But the ruling Congress will take some more time to decide on this since the opposition parties are against the move.