In 2013, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) received environmental clearance to extend the runway by constructing a 1,500-feet-long bridge on stilts over the sea. The extension is to be built at a cost of Rs 3 billion and will allow aircraft like the
ATR-72 to be operated without any payload restrictions. AAI originally planned to construct a bridge between Agatti and the neighbouring uninhabited Kalpati Island to make the runway long enough to handle an
Airbus A320 or
Boeing 737. However, this plan was rejected on environmental grounds as the bridge would have gone through a turtle colony and
Kalpati island would need to be levelled to accommodate the extended runway. As per the revised master plan, == Airlines and destinations ==