The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the transfer of 11.35 acres of land to Airports Authority of India (AAI), required for expansion of Patna International Airport, by exchanging a similar quantity of Bihar government land.

" Cabinet approves exchanging of Airports Authority of India's land measuring 11.35 acres with equivalent land of Govt. of Bihar at Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport, Patna for expansion/development purpose," said an official statement. 

According to the cabinet, the proposed land at Patna Airport will be used for expansion of the airport and construction of new terminal building alongwith other associated infrastructure.

"The state government has also agreed in principle for transfer of the land. The new terminal building will be having a capacity of 3 million passengers per annum which will not only enhance the airport capacity but also provide convenience to general public," said the statement.

The existing terminal building at Patna Airport was built for a capacity of 0.5 million passengers per annum, against which 1.5 million passengers per annum are already using the airport. This has led to extreme crowding in the terminal building.