PM Modi Inaugurates Northeast India’s Largest Airport Terminal in Guwahati

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled a major leap in aviation infrastructure for Northeast India with the inauguration of Terminal 2 at Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport.

The newly opened terminal, now the largest in the region, is expected to significantly improve air connectivity while strengthening Guwahati's role as the Northeast's primary gateway.

Passenger capacity scaled up for future growth

Officials said the Terminal 2 building has been designed to handle nearly 13.1 million passengers annually, addressing the sharp rise in air traffic to and from the region. Spread across around 1,40,000 square metres, the terminal has been constructed at a cost of ₹4,000 crore and is equipped with modern passenger facilities aimed at smoother travel and reduced congestion.

The Prime Minister also toured the new terminal during the inauguration ceremony, reviewing its operational and passenger service features.

₹5,000 crore airport project and MRO facilities

According to officials, the terminal is part of a wider airport development plan involving a total investment of ₹5,000 crore. Of this amount, ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for the establishment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facilities, a move expected to support aircraft servicing needs in the region, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Authorities said the expanded infrastructure positions Guwahati airport as a strategic aviation hub not only for Assam but for the entire Northeast.

Architecture inspired by Assam's identity

The design of the new terminal draws from Assam's biodiversity and cultural heritage. Officials said the architectural elements aim to reflect the state's natural and cultural character while integrating contemporary airport infrastructure, offering travellers a sense of place alongside modern amenities.

Tribute to Gopinath Bardoloi and forward agenda

Named after Gopinath Bardoloi, Assam's first chief minister, the airport also became the site of a major tribute on Saturday. The Prime Minister unveiled an 80-foot statue of Bardoloi outside the terminal premises, honouring his contribution to the state.

A day earlier, the Prime Minister had shared glimpses of the terminal on social media, calling it a "major boost to Assam's infrastructure".

"Increased capacity means better 'Ease of Living' and a boost for commerce as well as tourism," he wrote on X.

On Sunday, December 21, the Prime Minister said he would pay floral tributes at the Shaheed Smarak Sthal, commemorating martyrs of the historic Assam Movement. He also announced plans to travel to Namrup in Dibrugarh for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ammonia-Urea Fertiliser Project of Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Limited.

"This is an important project, which will help meet the fertiliser needs of Assam as well as other states. At the same time, it will reduce imports, as a result of which self-reliance will increase," he said.