New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) A contingent of 121 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel on Thursday took over the security of strategically located and lone airport of Mizoram at Lengpui.

A formal induction ceremony was held at the facility where a ceremonial key was handed over by airport authorities to senior CISF officials, a force spokesperson said.

With a 2,500-metre long table-top runway, the airport is located about 32 km north of capital Aizawl in the Mamit district. Built in February 1998, the airport is the first in the country to be constructed by a state government.

“Strategically located near the India-Myanmar and India-Bangladesh borders, the airport is vital from both security and connectivity standpoints, particularly given the nearest railway head is 100 km away and the nearest alternative airport in Silchar lies over 200 km from Aizawl,” the spokesperson said.

The airport has flights connecting the state to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati and Silchar in Assam, and Imphal in Manipur by Indigo and Alliance Air planes.

The Union home ministry has sanctioned a strength of 214 personnel to provide counter-terrorist security cover to the airport, out of which, 121 are taking charge on Thursday under the command of a Deputy Commandant rank officer, the spokesperson said.

The facility was till now being protected by a joint team of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force. The CRPF deployed a company strength of about 120 personnel to guard the airport since 1999.

The CISF said the Lengpui airport was a gateway to Mizoram, popularly known as the Land of Mountains, and it was witnessing a “steady rise” in passenger traffic.

This growth has underscored the need for a dedicated and specialised security force to ensure the safety of travellers and airport operations while proactively addressing emerging threats such as terrorism, smuggling and other unlawful activities, it said.

Lengpui is the 69th airport under the cover of the paramilitary in the country. It is designated as the national civil aviation security force.

The Lengpui airport is also the first unit to be guarded by the CISF in the Northeastern state.

The CISF has a special aviation security group (ASG) under its establishment that guards civil airports across the country as part of its charter to provide counter-terrorist and anti-sabotage cover to these facilities.

The force will control access and exit at the Lengpui facility, check departing passengers and their baggage and deploy vehicle-borne armed commandos as part of a quick reaction team (QRT) that responds in case of threat or attacks, an officer had told PTI earlier.

A Myanmarese military cargo plane carrying 14 crew members had crash-landed at this airport after it overshot the runway in January last year. There were no casualties in the incident.

Mizoram shares 510 km of its border with Myanmar and about 200 kms with Bangladesh. PTI NES KVK KVK