The long-stalled Dhalbhumgarh Airport project near Jamshedpur has re-entered active development mode, with the DGCA pushing ahead on tree relocation and land negotiations. The Airports Authority of India will prepare a detailed technical report for the central government by April 24, 2026, as reported by The Times of India.
The project, a ₹100 crore airport planned on a World War II-era airstrip in East Singhbhum, has been in and out of revival mode since its foundation stone was laid on January 24, 2019. Forest clearances, village resistance, and a 150-kilometre proximity rule against Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi have each, at different points, brought it to a halt. The April 2026 AAI survey of both Dhalbhumgarh and the alternate Chakulia Aerodrome site marks the most concrete federal-level engagement the project has seen in years.
The site of the Dhalbhumgarh Airport is a former World War II airfield, 60 kilometres north of Jamshedpur on NH-33. The runway surfaces of it are not yet up to operating standards. AAI selected the location in 2017 instead of the alternative site at Chakulia, which is a flat terrain site, due to its aviation heritage.
The Dhalbhumgarh Airport Limited (DAL), a joint venture between AAI and the Jharkhand state government, was established under the MoU signed on January 24, 2019, with a 51 per cent stake held by AAI and 49 per cent by the state government, according to Daily Pioneer. The first budget was pegged at 100 crore, and Phase 1 was to accommodate ATR-72 class airplanes, a 2.2-kilometre runway, and a 15,000-square-feet terminal building. It also included 6 check-in counters that had the capacity of accommodating 150 passengers.
The project has piled up challenges on various fronts. The proposed location is located in an elephant corridor. The Ministry of Environment and Forests objected, stating that the construction would interfere with the movement of wildlife and endanger the habitats of elephants, holding the project pending for almost six years.
On the regulatory front, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has indicated that per the current aviation policy a new greenfield airport cannot be close to an existing operational civilian airport by a distance of less than 150 kilometres.Technical evaluations indicate that Dhalbhumgarh is located about 130-135km to Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi, which is less than the required 150km. On the ground, the residents of the village of Devshol opposed the project since 2017, since the project is likely to displace three villages: Kokepara, Devshol, and Burudih. The project will need to acquire about 84 acres of the village land belonging personally to residents.
An AAI team comprising five members, headed by DGM (ATM) Ajay Kumar Singh, made a site visit to both Dhalbhumgarh and Chakulia. They assessed the road and railway accessibility, runway facilities, and the land tenure. The AAI is also compiling a technical report that is due to the central government by April 24, 2026. According to Construction World, the Jharkhand government has given approval to 65 out of 99 hectares of forest land demanded by AAI, with the remaining 35 hectares being discussed, and three out of five villages surrounding the proposed site giving consent to the government.
The UDAN scheme in India that has activated 625 routes and awarded ₹4,023 crore Viability Gap Funding so far until March 2025 according to government data was specifically targeted at projects such as Dhalbhumgarh. Jamshedpur, the home of Tata Steel,is the biggest industrial city in the country that has no operating commercial airport.
The existing airport, Sonari Airport, has a runway that is too short to accommodate scheduled commercial jets and has limited all-weather features. AAI has been categorical in its responses to RTI: "The project deadline cannot be ascertained at this point since the land is not handed over. Seven years after its foundation stone, the Dhalbhumgarh airport's next chapter will be written not in Delhi but in the remaining village Gram Sabhas and the forest clearance files still awaiting submission.
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