Gujarat: New Airport Near Rajkot To Be Ready By March 2023, Project Covering 2,534 Acres To Cost Rs 1,405 Crore

The fourth-largest city in Gujarat, Rajkot, may soon get a new greenfield airport as the progress of the total project reaches 45 per cent, with runway work reaching 80 per cent completion stage.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has undertaken the construction of a new greenfield airport at Rajkot with a project cost of Rs 1,405 crore in 2,534 acres.

The under-construction Airport is located approximately 30 km from Rajkot city on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway. A clover-leaf flyover is planned on the highway for unhindered access to the Airport.

Being located on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway, this Airport will aim to reduce time and cost related to logistics for multiple industries in the region. More Importantly, the ceramic industry of Morbi and other sectors of Jamnagar also depend on Rajkot for air connectivity.

In 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, approved the development of a greenfield Airport at Hirasar, near Rajkot.

The existing Airport at Rajkot is severely land-constrained, having only 236 acres of land and situated in the city's heart. This Airport suffers from considerable capacity restraints due to the presence of residential and commercial buildings.

Further, the railway line and State Highway located around the Airport on the eastern side also prohibit the runway extension. Thus there is no feasibility of expanding the Airport in the city or airside. Hence the possibility of operating wide-bodied aircraft at the existing airport location is ruled out.

Rajkot is the fourth largest city in Gujarat, after Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara. The city is the centre of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat and the 35th largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population of more than 1.2 million as of 2015.

A world-class airport in Saurashtra

Spread over 2,534 acres, a new greenfield airport has been planned with modern facilities and conveniences for the travellers with an increased number of counters and other necessary facilities.

With a total built-up area of 23,000 sqm, excluding the basement, the terminal building of this new Airport will be capable of handling 1,800 passengers during peak hours.

The terminal will have state-of-the-art passenger facilities, four passenger boarding bridges, three conveyor belts and 20 check-in counters, and modern firefighting and fire alarm systems.

The city side area of the Airport will also be developed for adequate parking facilities for cars, taxis and buses, along with landscaping. Runway length is planned for 3,040 m to serve AB-321 type of aircraft capable of parking 14 aircraft at a time.

Terminal design

The terminal façade design is influenced by the existing palaces of Rajkot, like the Ranjit Vilas Palace, integrating traditional elements into a contemporary form. An outer skin of traditional Jalis of Palaces is provided to minimise the heat gain inside the building.

The terminal will depict various art forms, including dandiya dance, through its dynamic external façade and splendid interiors. Rajkot is famous for its golden jewellery and filigree work, inspiring the exterior panel work at the drop-off area of the city side kerb.

Project's progress

More than 82 per cent of earthwork and 80 per cent of the runway and other pavement works have been completed. The work for the new terminal building and ATC Tower is also in progress.

To commission the Airport soon, an interim terminal building of size 60m x 60m capable of handling 300 passengers per hour is also in progress. The current progress of the total project is 45 per cent. The new Airport is expected to be ready for operation by March 2023.

"Air connectivity to the international market will boost industrial growth, which in turn will generate new employment opportunities. Apart from this, the new Airport will come up with lots of commercial development. This will boost travel-logistics, hotel industry, restaurants, warehouse-Cargo handling and clearing business etc," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.