Bihar Cabinet Approves ₹1,302 Crore for Sonepur Aerocity Under Hariharnathpuram Township

What was decided

The Bihar Cabinet has already approved ₹1,302 crore for the development of the Sonepur Aerocity project, which is expected to emerge as a major centre for hospitality, logistics and commercial activity. Among the proposed developments, the flagship project will be 'Hariharnathpur' in Sonepur, which is planned as Bihar's first Aerocity, and the project is expected to transform the region into a major aviation, commercial and tourism hub.

The Bihar state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, approved the construction of a new international airport at Sonepur in Saran district, with a proposed 4,200-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft, including the Airbus A380. The state government has initiated land acquisition and allocated ₹1,302 crore for this purpose.

Which body, and when

The underlying ₹1,302-crore allocation traces to a Bihar Cabinet decision on airport construction. The proposal was cleared at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, during which 35 development proposals received approval. The Union civil aviation ministry had earlier granted site clearance, followed by in-principle approval from the Centre.

A dated Patna Press report from June 1, 2026 reiterates that the Bihar Cabinet has already approved ₹1,302 crore for the development of the Sonepur Aerocity project, framing it within the broader 11-township push, on which planning activities are accelerating and consultant appointments are expected shortly.

Site, boundaries and technical specifications

Spread across 4,228 acres between Hajipur and Dumaria, the airport is set to become the largest in the state and among the biggest in the country in terms of land area. The airport is proposed to come up in the Dariyapur Chawar area between Hajipur and Dumaria, north of the Sonepur–Chhapra four-lane NH-19 and east of the Gandak river.

One of the most significant features of the Sonepur airport will be its two proposed runways, each 4,200 metres long, enabling all categories of aircraft to operate, including some of the world's largest passenger planes such as the Airbus A380. Once completed, it is expected to become the fifth largest airport in India after major hubs in Delhi, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Noida (Jewar). In terms of greenfield projects, 23 greenfield airports have been developed across the country so far, making Sonepur the 24th such airport.

For the township itself, a separately reported core-area figure puts Hariharnathpur (Sonepur) at 2,000 acres of core area among the 11 planned townships.

The scale claim — Rudy's Hyderabad comparison

According to Saran MP and aviation expert Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the proposed greenfield airport in Sonepur will be among the largest in the country and will meet international standards, comparable in scale to Hyderabad's airport, and could become the third-largest greenfield airport in India. Separately, at the time of the Cabinet's initial approval, Rudy said the proposed Sonepur airport would be the largest in South Asia, spread across 4,200 acres.

These are political/promotional characterisations rather than official rankings; independent aviation-sector reporting instead places Sonepur as a large new entrant behind the country's biggest existing hubs, expected to become the fifth largest airport in India after major hubs in Delhi, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Noida (Jewar) once built.

What the Aerocity is meant to include

The proposed developments include five-star hotels, convention centres, logistics hubs, commercial districts, and riverfront infrastructure, with the planned Hariharnath Corridor and riverfront projects expected to enhance the global profile of the historic Sonepur Mela and strengthen tourism in the region. The state government is promoting the project as a first-of-its-kind development model combining an Aerocity, Fintech City and Sports City, with townships strategically located near expressways, ring roads and major railway junctions to encourage investment in IT, banking, logistics, hospitality and real estate.

How it fits the 11-township programme

Hariharnathpuram is one of 11 satellite townships the state is developing. The Pataliputra Township is among 11 proposed satellite townships across Bihar, including projects in Darbhanga (Mithila), Chhapra (Saran), Sonepur (Hariharnath), Bhagalpur (Vikramshila), Muzaffarpur (Tirhut), Gaya (Magadh), Purnia, Sitamarhi (Sitapuram), Munger (Anga) and Saharsa (Kosi).

Development across all 11 sites follows a common land-pooling mechanism rather than outright acquisition. The state government approved the development of 11 greenfield satellite townships and imposed a moratorium on land transactions in the identified zones, to be developed through land-pooling under the Town Planning Scheme, with the government returning 55 per cent of the developed land to farmers, a statutory tool under the Bihar Urban Planning and Development Act, 2012. The remaining land is earmarked as about 22 per cent for connectivity, 5 per cent for green spaces and public utilities, 3 per cent for economically weaker sections, and 15 per cent for infrastructure including STP, water plants and electric grids.

This land-transaction moratorium was later eased. The state cabinet approved a revised policy removing the earlier blanket ban on land sale and purchase in the townships' identified zones, and granted the state housing board authority to directly purchase land for urgent development requirements.

Practical effect: jobs and connectivity

Bihar Industries Association President Ramlal Khetan said each township is expected to generate around 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, taking the total employment potential of all 11 townships to more than five lakh.

Connectivity works accompanying the airport/township are already underway. Connectivity between Patna and Sonepur is expected to improve significantly with multiple bridge projects over the Ganga, including a 12-lane connectivity plan with a six-lane bridge parallel to the existing Jay Prakash Setu. Approval has also been granted for the Sonepur–Bettiah four-lane road project to improve connectivity with north Bihar districts and help manage Gandak river overflow during monsoon.

Why a new airport at Sonepur, not an expansion at Patna or Bihta

Officials cite capacity constraints at existing sites. The runway at Patna is only 2,050 metres long and cannot be extended due to the presence of the Patna Zoo on one side and dense habitation on the other, while the Bihta airport runway can be extended only up to around 2,500 metres because of surrounding settlements and a cemetery. In 2025, Patna airport handled around 40 lakh passengers, and with annual growth of about 10 percent, even new terminal capacity may become inadequate within the next decade. Air traffic services control at Bihta also remains with the Indian Air Force, meaning it cannot function as a full-fledged 24-hour civilian airport.

Status caveats — as of June 2026

As of June 2026, this is a funding/land-acquisition sanction and airport-construction approval, not a completed or operational project. The project is targeted for completion by 2030, subject to environmental and regulatory clearances. Sources in the civil aviation department indicated that key announcements related to construction may be made in a subsequent Cabinet meeting. Broader township master-planning is also still underway: planning activities are accelerating and consultant appointments are expected shortly for the 11-township programme as a whole.