The government has cleared the construction of a new ₹13,000-crore greenfield civil-military airport at Chingen near Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar Island, effectively shelving plans to expand the existing naval air station at INS Baaz in Campbell Bay.
The decision follows detailed studies which concluded that extending INS Baaz’s 4,500-foot runway to 10,000 feet was impractical due to terrain limitations, navigational challenges and infrastructure constraints.
Officials also noted that expansion could have posed greater risks to tribal settlements, forests and wildlife habitats compared to the proposed new site.
The new airport will serve both civilian and military aviation requirements, remaining under naval operational control while providing scope for future expansion. Strategically located near the western approaches of the Malacca Strait, the site offers India a vantage point over one of the busiest maritime chokepoints in the world.
A substantial share of global container traffic and energy shipments passes through these waters, making Great Nicobar a critical location for monitoring maritime activity and strengthening India’s surveillance and logistics footprint in the Indo-Pacific.
The airport is expected to be completed within five years and is one of four major infrastructure components under the ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar Island Development Project. Alongside the airport, the project includes an International Container Transhipment Terminal at Galathea Bay, power infrastructure and township development.
The transhipment terminal is intended to reduce India’s dependence on foreign hubs such as Singapore and Colombo, positioning the country as a key player in global cargo movement. The government has consistently defended the project as a strategic investment to enhance India’s presence in the Indo-Pacific, improve connectivity and leverage the island’s proximity to vital shipping lanes.
Great Nicobar, India’s southernmost island, lies close to the Six Degree Channel leading into the Malacca Strait, through which a large portion of global maritime trade flows.
India already maintains a significant military presence in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including INS Baaz commissioned in 2012, and the tri-services command established in 2001 to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Strategic experts argue that strengthening infrastructure on the islands will enhance India’s ability to monitor maritime traffic, project power and counter China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean Region.
Agencies
