Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) (IATA: AMD, ICAO: VAAH) is an international airport serving the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India. The airport is located in Hansol, 9 km (5.6 mi) north of central Ahmedabad. It is named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of India.
In fiscal year 2017-18, it handled about 9.2 million passengers making it the eighth-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic in India. The airport also serves as a focus city for GoAir and Jet Airways. In 2015, the government started the procedure for the privatization of the airport. The airport is set to be replaced by Dholera International Airport due to expansion constraints.
Video Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
History
The airport was set up in 1937, while international operations began on 26/01/1991. It was categorised as an International airport on 23 May 2000. In 2010, the new terminal 2 was inaugurated for handling international passengers. A 18-foot-tall (5.5 m) statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was also inaugurated at the airport. In 2015, the AAI invited proposals for privatisation of Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Jaipur airports.
A 700 kWp rooftop solar plant was commissioned at the airport on 21 March 2017.
Maps Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
Structure
The airport currently consists of four terminals: domestic, international, an additional terminal for secondary traffic and a cargo terminal as well. The airport has 45 parking bays and both the international and domestic terminals have four aero-bridges each. The new terminal has been modelled based on Singapore Changi Airport.
The new terminal has a half-kilometre-long moving walkway, which connects the two terminals. Airports Authority of India (AAI) will construct a new technical block which will enhance the flight handling capacity and provide better control of flights.
Runway
The airport has a single runway that is 3,505 metres (11,499 ft) long.
Air traffic control tower
As part of the airport modernisation process, the AAI announced that it would construct a new air traffic control (ATC) building that would include a new airport tower 65 metres (213 ft) in height.
Terminals
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 has 32 check-in counters and has an area of 45,000 m2 (480,000 sq ft).
Terminal 2
T2 was inaugurated on 4 July 2010 and opened for use on 15 September 2010. The terminal won the award for the best Steel Structure at the 2009 edition of the National Structural Steel Design and Construction Awards. The terminal has four aerobridges and 32 check-in counters. With the total floor area of approximately 41,000 sq. meters, this terminal will be able to accommodate around 1,600 passengers at any given time. The 'port lounge' at the terminal 2 is a premium lounge for business class and first class passengers. The new 51,975-square-metre (559,450 sq ft) apron area can cater for the parking of nine A-321 and four ATR-72 type of aircraft.
Cargo Terminal
The airport handled 51,637 tonnes of cargo, inclusive of gold and silver in 2013-14. Sixty percent of the cargo comes from domestic sources. In 2009, 3,685 square metres (39,670 sq ft) of land was leased for a period of seven years out by the AAI to Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation to set up a center for perishable cargo. However, due to a government policy that prevented third-party operations at airports run by the AAI, the CPC was not in use until July 2014, when the minister of state for civil aviation announced that the government had issued a No Objection Certificate for commencement of operations. In 2014, it was announced that the airport would be getting a dedicated cargo terminal which is expected to come up at Terminal 3.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Connectivity
The Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) runs bus services to the airport. For the convenience of travelers, there is a prepaid taxi booth at the airport premises. There are also plans to extend the Ahmedabad BRTS and a direct metro rail linking the airport with the city center.
Shuttle bus runs every 30minutes from the airport terminal and provides pick-up and drop service to 29 stops and last stop is karnavati club at very nominal cost (INR30-INR50).
OneWay.Cab also provides connectivity to Ahmedabad Airport from Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Udaipur & Anand.
Accidents and incidents
- Indian Airlines Flight 113 operating from Mumbai to Ahmedabad crashed on its final approach to the airport on 19 October 1988, killing 130 people including all 6 crew members. The flight was cleared for a visual approach into a foggy airport, when it struck trees and a high-tension pylon at a distance of 5 km from Runway 23, before crashing into a field and bursting into flames.
- Jet Airways Flight 2510, coming in from Indore collapsed on the runway while landing at the airport on 22 July 2010. There were 57 passengers and four crew members on board the ATR flight. Some passengers received minor injuries as the nose wheel reportedly collapsed due to a tyre burst.
See also
- Dholera International Airport
- Airports in India
- List of busiest airports in India by passenger traffic
References
External links
Media related to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at the Airports Authority of India
- Airport information for VAAH at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
Source of article : Wikipedia
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