Centre clears ₹13,000-crore greenfield airport in Great Nicobar, drops INS Baaz expansion plan

The Centre has approved the construction of a ₹13,000-crore greenfield airport in Great Nicobar Island, abandoning an earlier proposal to expand the Indian Navy's INS Baaz air station as part of the island's broader infrastructure development plan.

The new airport will be built at Galathea Bay and is expected to serve both civilian and defence requirements.

According to defence ministry sources, the airport forms a key component of the Great Nicobar Island development project and is expected to be completed within five years. The project will be jointly funded by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The government decided against expanding INS Baaz, the naval air station located at Campbell Bay, after studies identified several operational and geographical limitations.

Officials said the existing site would have required extensive hill cutting and dredging to accommodate larger aircraft, while expansion could also have affected nearby settlements and ecologically sensitive areas.

INS Baaz, which currently operates with a shorter runway suitable for smaller aircraft, will continue functioning alongside the new airport. Officials said the proposed facility at Galathea Bay would complement rather than replace the naval air station.

The airport is expected to strengthen India's strategic presence in the eastern Indian Ocean due to Great Nicobar's proximity to the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. Defence officials have described the project as important for enhancing surveillance, logistics and military readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Apart from its strategic significance, the airport is also expected to improve civilian connectivity and support economic development initiatives planned under the larger Great Nicobar project, which includes a transshipment port, power infrastructure and urban development.

The Great Nicobar development project has drawn attention in recent years because of its strategic importance as well as concerns raised by environmental groups regarding its ecological impact. Earlier this year, the National Green Tribunal upheld the environmental clearance granted to the project.