The Centre has added Gujarat’s Surat airport on the list of international airports in India.
As per a notification issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Surat Airport in Gujarat is declared as an international airport with immediate effect.
It must be remembered that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ₹ 353 crore new terminal building of Surat airport recently.
Surat is currently connected to 14 domestic cities — Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Goa, Goa Mopa, Belgaum, Pune, Jaipur, Udaipur, Indore, Diu and Kishangarh and internationally via Sharjah to the rest of the world. It is handling more than 252 passenger flight movements per week.
According to the ministry, the elevation of Surat Airport to international status holds great significance in enhancing economic growth, attracting foreign investment, and strengthening diplomatic ties. The expected increase in both passenger traffic and cargo operations with the airport’s international designation is seen as a pivotal driver for regional development.
As per officials, the Surat airport has a runway of 2906 X 45 metres, which is capable of operating Code ‘C’ type of aircraft and a terminal building of an area of 8,474 square metres.
The new terminal building is equipped to handle 1,200 domestic passengers and 600 international passengers during peak hours and has provision for further increasing the peak hour capacity to 3,000 passengers with annual handling capacity increasing to 55 lakh passengers, officials said.
Also Read: H-1B Visa Application Process To Start On March 6: Reports
