Passenger traffic at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala has surged by 68.53% in the last 11 years, indicating substantial growth in Tripura’s aviation sector. The airport saw an increase from about 8.9 lakh passengers in 2014-15 to nearly 15 lakh in 2025-26. Aircraft movements also rose from around 7,000 to nearly 12,000 annually during the same period, as stated by MBB Airport Director K.M. Nehra.
The MBB Airport, now the second busiest in the Northeast after Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, has significantly enhanced its connectivity. Initially serving limited scheduled flights to Kolkata and Guwahati in 2014, the airport now operates services to major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Imphal, Kolkata, and Guwahati, handling approximately 35 aircraft movements daily, Nehra mentioned.
The airport has bolstered its role as a logistics hub with the inauguration of a modern domestic cargo terminal in 2025, boasting an annual handling capacity of 40,000 tonnes. This development has facilitated the transportation of agricultural produce, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals, and other essential goods. Moreover, passenger facilities have been upgraded with the introduction of various amenities like Digi Yatra, self-service check-in systems, free Wi-Fi, childcare rooms, Udan Yatri Café, and outlets promoting local handicrafts.
On the sustainability front, the airport has made significant strides with the installation of a 250 kW solar power plant in 2019, generating nearly two lakh units of green energy annually. Additional solar plants, including a 60 kW operational in 2025 and a planned 1,600 kW facility by 2027, are expected to collectively produce around 21 lakh units of electricity annually, resulting in substantial cost savings, Nehra highlighted.
Infrastructure development has received a substantial boost with the inauguration of the New Integrated Terminal Building, equipped to handle three million passengers annually. The expansion includes essential features like four passenger boarding bridges, seven aircraft parking bays, two taxiways, and upgraded communication and navigation systems. Nehra emphasized the airport’s crucial role as a lifeline during the Covid-19 pandemic and floods in August 2024, ensuring uninterrupted movement of essential supplies and supporting relief operations.
