Which of the following Airports in Uttar Pradesh has been granted International Status on 24th June, 2020 by Union Cabinet of India ?

Question

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Correct — D, Kushinagar Airport. On 24 June 2020 the Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved granting 'international airport' status to Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh. Kushinagar is a major Buddhist pilgrimage centre (the site of the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana), so international status was aimed at connecting the global Buddhist circuit — pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere. The airport was later formally inaugurated and received its first international flight (from Sri Lanka) in October 2021, but the Cabinet decision to grant international status is dated 24 June 2020.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Agra (Kheria) airport serves Taj Mahal tourism and shares its base with the Indian Air Force, but it was not the airport granted international status by the 24 June 2020 Cabinet decision.  (b) Prayagraj (Bamrauli) airport got a new civil terminal ahead of the 2019 Kumbh, but it was not the subject of the 24 June 2020 international-status approval.  (c) Gorakhpur is a domestic airport (also an IAF base) near Kushinagar, but the international status went to Kushinagar, not Gorakhpur.

Concept: Under the Aircraft Rules, the Union Cabinet/Ministry of Civil Aviation can declare an airport an 'international airport', allowing scheduled international flights and customs/immigration facilities. Kushinagar was developed as a greenfield international airport specifically to serve the Buddhist tourism circuit of eastern UP and Bihar (Kushinagar, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Lumbini).

State PCS 2020 Q61 — Current Affairs PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2020 Q61 — Current Affairs PYQ with Answer