Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Satna Airport, inaugurated on May 31, 2025, has not seen regular commercial flight operations since then.
The short runway is being cited as the main reason that no airline has shown interest in operating flights from the airport. In view of this, the Aviation Department has decided to expand the runway.
Additional Chief Secretary, Aviation Department, Sanjay Kumar Shukla told Free Press that the department had held two meetings with the district administration and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has proposed a plan to extend the runway.“The district administration is considering runway expansion,” Shukla said.
The Satna Airport director said that after the airport’s inauguration, a small aircraft operator had attempted to run unscheduled flights. However, irregular flight operations and difficulties faced by passengers in booking tickets affected passenger turnout, forcing the company to discontinue services. For the past two to three months, no unscheduled small flights have operated from the airport.
Sources in the Aviation Department said the runway at Satna Airport is currently only 1,200 metres long and plans are being considered to extend it to around 2,100 metres. Similarly, Datia Airport also has a 1,200-metre runway and its expansion is being planned. Sources said that once the Satna Airport runway is expanded, bigger aircraft will be able to land, helping boost commercial flight operations.
Rewa airport flies high
Interestingly, Rewa Airport, located near Satna airport, is performing well with occupancy ranging between 80% and 90% on its flights. Flights are currently operating from Rewa to Delhi, Indore and Raipur. Sources added that there is also a proposal to increase Rewa Airport’s runway length from 1,800 metres to 2,300 metres and later to 3,000 metres.
This will enable the airport to handle Airbus aircraft with a seating capacity ranging from 180 to 320 passengers.
Satna Airport was developed by the Airports Authority of India at a cost of Rs 36.96 crore to serve as a regional hub in north-east Madhya Pradesh.
