Govt to build ₹13,000 crore airport at Great Nicobar, instead of INS Baaz expansion

The government has decided to build a new ₹13,000-crore greenfield civil-military airport as part of the Great Nicobar project, instead of expanding the existing naval airfield at INS Baaz. This move comes amid a growing political debate over the ₹81,000-crore mega development plan for the ecologically sensitive island.

Sources from the government and defence have said the proposed dual-use airport will be located at Chingen, near Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar's south-eastern coast. The airport will serve both civilian and military aviation needs. The site is close to the western approaches of the Malacca Strait, a key maritime chokepoint linking the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Officials believe the airport will enhance India's ability to monitor and respond to activities along this important trade route.

The decision sets aside earlier plans to extend the runway at INS Baaz air station in Campbell Bay. Studies indicated that extending the existing 4,500-foot runway to about 10,000 feet would be difficult due to terrain, navigational challenges and the need for extensive infrastructure. Officials also found that expanding the current runway could have a greater impact on tribal settlements, forests and wildlife than the proposed greenfield airport.

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The new airport is expected to be completed within five years and will remain under naval operational control while serving civilian aviation needs. Officials have said the greenfield site offers more room for future expansion and will strengthen India's military reach, surveillance capabilities and logistics in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

Great Nicobar, India's southernmost island, lies near the Six Degree Channel, a key sea route leading into the Malacca Strait, through which a large share of global maritime trade passes. India already has a significant military presence in the islands, including INS Baaz, commissioned in 2012, and the tri-services command established in 2001 to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force in the region.

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

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The airport is one of four major infrastructure components proposed under the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, which has an estimated cost of ₹81,000 crore. The plan centres on an International Container Transshipment Terminal at Galathea Bay, aimed at reducing India's dependence on foreign hubs such as Singapore and Colombo for cargo transshipment. The project also includes power infrastructure and township development to turn the island into a major maritime and economic hub.

The government has defended the project as a strategic investment to strengthen India's presence in the Indo-Pacific, improve connectivity and utilise Great Nicobar's proximity to a busy shipping corridor. However, the airport decision comes days after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi renewed his criticism of the project following a visit to the islands and a scuba-diving expedition near its coral reefs.

Gandhi 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 alleged it would destroy large areas of rainforest, lead to the felling of over 1.5 crore trees, damage coral reefs and displace indigenous communities, including the vulnerable Shompen tribe.