Leh airport's new terminal 83% complete, to triple flight handling capacity: Civil Aviation Minister

The new integrated terminal building at Leh airport is 83 per cent physically complete and is being developed to significantly enhance air connectivity to the strategically important Himalayan region, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Wednesday.

In a post on X, the minister said the terminal, once operational, will be capable of handling up to 54 flights a day, nearly three times the airport's current capacity.

"Fast-paced construction of Leh's new airport terminal... 83% of the physical construction is complete. Once operational, the new terminal is designed to handle up to 54 flights a day, three times the current capacity, advancing the government's vision of next-generation aviation infrastructure," Naidu said.


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The expansion is expected to strengthen connectivity to Ladakh, improve passenger handling capacity and support the region's growing tourism-related and other travel requirements. The project is part of the Centre's broader push to modernise airport infrastructure and expand aviation capacity across the country.

The minister, however, did not specify the expected commissioning date of the new terminal or the total project cost.

Further details on the remaining construction work are awaited.

Varanasi Airport development

In a separate update, Naidu said work is also progressing on India's first six-lane underpass beneath an active airport runway at the new terminal of Varanasi Airport.

The 450-metre underpass, being constructed on National Highway-31, is designed to allow uninterrupted road traffic beneath the runway while aircraft continue operating above, making it one of the country's more complex airport infrastructure projects.

According to the minister, foundation and raft work for the underpass is currently underway. He described the project as part of the government's push to build next-generation aviation infrastructure that improves both airport capacity and surface connectivity.

The underpass is expected to ease traffic movement around the airport while supporting the expansion of Varanasi Airport's new terminal infrastructure.