Nearly one lakh plants now line the passenger experience inside Guwahati’s new airport terminal, where a landscaped “Sky Forest” has been designed to evoke Assam’s forests rather than serve as a conventional airport garden.
The terminal, inaugurated in December 2025, contains plants from around 100 species of local flora, according to information released by the Prime Minister’s Office. The indoor landscape combines vegetation, natural light and the building’s architecture to create a forest-like setting for arriving and departing passengers.
Built around the theme “Bamboo Orchids”, the terminal draws on Assam’s orchids, bamboo, forests and wildlife. Its design includes 57 orchid-inspired columns, while visual elements reference the one-horned rhinoceros and the traditional Assamese japi.
Bamboo sourced from the Northeast has also been used extensively in the architecture and interiors. The approach aims to make the terminal feel rooted in Assam and the wider Northeast, rather than resemble an airport that could be located anywhere.
The terminal covers roughly 1.4 lakh square metres and is designed to handle around 13.1 million passengers annually. It also incorporates sustainability-focused features including natural light and systems intended to improve water management.
The Sky Forest is not a natural forest ecosystem but a carefully landscaped indoor collection of plants. Its scale and upkeep over time will determine how effectively the airport’s intended “living forest” remains part of the travel experience for the millions passing through Guwahati.
