Govt clears new Rs 13,000-crore Great Nicobar airport, drops INS Baaz expansion (original) (raw)

The new airport will be built at Chingen near Galathea Bay and is expected to serve both civilian and military aviation requirements. Defence sources said the decision followed studies that found extending INS Baaz's existing 4,500-foot runway to around 10,000 feet was impractical because of topography and infra-related constraints.

The decision effectively shelves long-standing plans to extend the runway at the Indian Navy's INS Baaz air station in Campbell Bay.

The government has decided to build a new Rs 13,000-crore greenfield civil-military airport as part of the Great Nicobar project instead of expanding the existing naval airfield at INS Baaz, a move that comes amid an intensifying political battle over the Rs 81,000-crore mega development project on the ecologically sensitive island.

Government and defence sources said the proposed dual-use airport will come up at Chingen, near Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar's southeastern coast, and will serve both civilian and military aviation needs. The location is strategically significant as it lies close to the western approaches of the Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints linking the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

A substantial share of global container traffic and energy shipments passes through these waters, making the island a key vantage point for monitoring maritime activity in the eastern Indian Ocean. Officials say the airport will strengthen India's ability to monitor and respond to developments along this critical trade route. The decision effectively shelves long-standing plans to extend the runway at the Indian Navy's INS Baaz air station in Campbell Bay.

According to sources, studies found that lengthening the existing 4,500-foot runway to around 10,000 feet would be difficult because of terrain limitations, navigational challenges and the need for extensive supporting infrastructure. Officials also concluded that a runway expansion could have a greater impact on tribal settlements, forests and wildlife habitats than the proposed greenfield airport.

The new airport is expected to be completed within five years and will remain under naval operational control while serving civilian aviation needs, according to reports. Officials argue that the greenfield site provides greater room for future expansion and strengthens India's military reach, surveillance capabilities and logistics footprint in the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

WHY GREAT NICOBAR MATTERS

Great Nicobar, India's southernmost island, occupies a strategically important position near major international shipping lanes. The island lies close to the Six Degree Channel, a key sea route leading into the Malacca Strait, through which a large portion of global maritime trade passes.

India already maintains a significant military presence in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including INS Baaz (commissioned in 2012), and the country's only tri-services command (established in 2001) to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force in the strategically vital region.

Strategic experts have long argued that strengthening infrastructure on the islands would enhance India's ability to monitor maritime traffic, project power in the Indo-Pacific and respond to the growing presence of China in the Indian Ocean Region.

THE WIDER GREAT NICOBAR PROJECT

The airport is one of four major infrastructure components proposed under the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, whose overall cost is estimated at around Rs 81,000 crore.

At the heart of the project is a planned International Container Transshipment Terminal at Galathea Bay, intended to reduce India's dependence on foreign hubs such as Singapore and Colombo for cargo transshipment. The broader plan also includes power infrastructure and township development aimed at transforming the island into a major maritime and economic hub.

The government has consistently defended the project as a critical strategic investment that would strengthen India's presence in the Indo-Pacific region, improve connectivity and leverage Great Nicobar's proximity to one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.

RAHUL GANDHI'S CRITICISM

The latest airport announcement comes days after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi renewed his attack on the Great Nicobar project following a visit to the islands and a scuba-diving expedition near its coral reefs.

Gandhi has described the project as "one of the biggest scams" and "one of the gravest crimes against the natural and tribal heritage of the country". He has alleged that the development would result in the destruction of vast stretches of rainforest, the felling of more than 1.5 crore trees, damage to coral reefs and displacement of indigenous communities, including the vulnerable Shompen tribe.

The Congress leader has also questioned the government's strategic rationale for the project, arguing that if defence requirements were the primary objective, the existing INS Baaz airfield could have been expanded instead of pursuing a much larger project encompassing a port, airport and township.

On World Environment Day, Gandhi said he was "disturbed" by the scale of development proposed for what he described as one of India's most pristine ecosystems and launched the "Green Over Greed" campaign against the project.

The Congress has meanwhile escalated its opposition in recent weeks, demanding a parliamentary debate and questioning the project's environmental clearances, financial viability, transparency and impact on tribal rights. The party has accused the government of failing to address concerns raised by environmentalists, anthropologists and local communities.

While the government maintains that the project is critical to India's strategic and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific, critics continue to question its environmental impact and implications for indigenous communities.

- Ends

Published By:

Priyanka Kumari

Published On:

Jun 9, 2026 10:36 IST