Civil Aviation Minister Ananth Kumar would be present at the inaugural function along with Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, his ministerial colleagues, former chief minister Lalthanhawla and other dignitaries, official sources here said.

Describing the airport as a unique example of Centre-State cooperation, they said while it was owned by the Government of Mizoram, its operation had been entrusted to the Airports Authority of India.

The Rs 98.25 crore airport, the second largest in the North-East, which has been designed to handle Boeing 737 aircraft initially, would be expanded later to take in bigger aircraft, including international flights.

Executed by the state PWD, the airport took about three years to be complete. It has all modern facilities to promote economic growth in the North-East by exploiting its vast tourism potential and export opportunities.

With Aizawl, the capital city of landlocked Mizoram located about 130 km from the nearest railhead, Bairabi and 205 km from the nearest airport at Silchar, a new airport became necessary to overcome its remoteness and the topographical disadvantage of inadequate transportation and communication facilities.

Work for the project gathered momentum on April four, 1994 when planning adviser V A Vallia Parampilla, who was visiting Mizoram as part of a high-power team, directed the state government to submit a fresh project report for the airport.

The project report was submitted to the Planning Commission on June nine, 1994. Senior NAA officials and other experts technically approved and forwarded it to the Planning Commission, which endorsed and sent it to the Tenth Finance Commission. The Commission approved the project as a grant to special problem state for its socio-economic development.

According to the sources, forecast traffic at the Lengpui airport has been considered upto year 2010 and future expansion would be reviewed during that year or earlier, depending on the traffic.

Future planning also includes creation of aircraft maintenance facilities, development of commercial areas like hotels, shopping plaza and full-fledged business centre.