North Bihar is poised for a significant upgrade in air connectivity with the Bihar Cabinet approving the construction of a Greenfield international airport at Sonepur in Saran district. The proposal was cleared at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday, during which 35 development proposals received approval.
The airport will be developed over nearly 4,200 acres in the Dariyapur Chanwar region, strategically located between Hajipur and Dumaria. The State government has set a target to complete the project by 2030, positioning it as a major infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and supporting long-term economic growth. To facilitate the project, ₹1,302 crore has been sanctioned for land acquisition, with administrative processes accelerated following the airport’s inclusion in the Union Budget.
Planned as a modern aviation hub, the airport will feature advanced passenger facilities and two parallel runways, each measuring 4,200 metres. The extended runway length will enable operations of wide-body aircraft, including the Airbus A380, making it capable of handling high passenger volumes and international traffic. Upon completion, the Sonepur airport is expected to become the fifth largest airport in India, after those in Delhi, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Noida (Jevar).
The project will be India’s 24th Greenfield airport and is expected to reduce travel dependency on distant airports while improving accessibility across north Bihar. Welcoming the decision, Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy termed it a long-pending demand that would boost regional development and connectivity.
