Surat Airport Gets International Airport Status

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 19-12-2023

Surat Airport Gets International Airport Status

State news 4 min read

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to make Surat Airport an international airport on 15 December 2023. With this, Surat Airport also got the status of International Airport.

First flight from Surat International Airport to Dubai:

The Air India Express flight took off from Surat for Dubai on December 17, 2023.

Passenger capacity of Surat International Airport:

The terminal expansion project includes expansion of the terminal building and apron and construction of taxi track.
Now passengers will get the facilities of 20 check-in counters, 5 aerobridges and 13 immigration counters.

Old terminal area increased to 25520 sq.m.:

Earlier the Surat Terminal building was spread over 8474 square meters. After its expansion, it has now become 25520 square meters.
The new terminal will be able to handle 1800 passengers during peak hours.

Surat's new terminal decorated with local art and culture:

The art and culture of the state of Gujarat and the city of Surat are depicted through paintings inside the terminal.
This airport project is estimated to cost around Rs 353.25 crore.
It features extensive parking facilities for four-wheelers, taxis, buses, two-wheelers, as well as designated areas for employees and VIPs.

Attempt to connect multiple countries directly:

After the inauguration of the terminal, the capacity of Surat Airport will double.
In such a situation, efforts to connect Dubai, Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore by direct flights have intensified. Apart from direct flights, many countries can also be connected through single PNR connected flights.
Air India and Air India Express have started preparations to connect international flights operating from many metro cities of the country to Surat with a single PNR.

Number of airports in Gujarat:

Currently there are about 19 airports in the state of Gujarat.
Nine of these airports are managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). These are mainly located in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Deesa, Surat, Kandla, Porbandar and Keshod.
In addition, the Indian Air Force (IAF) manages Bhuj, Naliya, Jamnagar airports.
The Gujarat state government manages Mehsana, Amreli and Mandvi airports.
Mithapur (Tata), Mundra (Adani), Diu, and Daman airports are operated by a private company.
Additionally, Dholera green-field airport is to be constructed.

Management of Airports in India:

Airports in the country are managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The Ministry of Civil Aviation is responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure in the country.
According to the AAI website, there are 487 airports/airstrips in India. Of these, AAI manages a total of 137 airports.
These 137 airports include 29 international airports, 10 customs airports and 103 domestic airports.