In 2015, theGovernment of Jammu and Kashmir proposed to officially rename the airport as Sheikh ul-Alam Airport afterNund Rishi, aKashmiriSufi saint, who was known by the title of Sheikh ul-Alam.[5] However, the name of the airport was not officially changed.[6]
Srinagar airfield was established by theIndian Air Force, and during theIndo-Pakistani War of 1947, the airstrip was used for the airlift ofIndian army troops deployed to prevent the capture ofSrinagar by thePakistan army. Although the airstrip was not well developed and lacked landing aids, it was used for airlift of troops successfully in October 1947.[7] During the 1950s to 1970s, the airfield evolved into one of the forward attack bases of the Indian Air Force.[8] On 7 September 1965, during theIndo-Pakistani War of 1965, the airport was attacked by thePakistan Air Force, which damaged an Indian Air ForceDouglas C-47 Skytrain and anIndian AirlinesDouglas DC-3.[9][10] As perChicago Tribune, one Indian aircraft and ade Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou transport of theUnited Nations observers headquarters were damaged in the attack.[11] Later, the airport, which housed various fighter squadrons of the Indian Air Force, served as a launchpad for combat air patrols and counter-air missions during the Indo-Pakistani wars in 1965 and 1971.[8]
In 1979, theNational Airports Authority of India established acivil enclave at the airport.[12] The terminal was upgraded in February 1998 to be able to handle internationalHajj flights which started operating from January 2002.[13][14] During theKargil War in 1999, civilian flights were stopped and the airport was taken over by the Indian Air Force.[15]
The airport has a singleasphalt runway, designated as 13/31, with dimensions of 3,685 m × 46 m (12,090 ft × 151 ft).[18] It is equipped with aninstrument landing system since February 2011.[19] In August 2018, a test flight was conducted for night landing by theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation,[20][21] and commercial night flying operations at the airport started on 19 March 2021.[22]
The airport has an integrated passenger terminal for handling domestic and international passengers. Spread over an area of 19,700 m2 (212,000 sq ft), it has a capacity to handle 950 passengers at a time.[12] The terminal is designed on theHimalayan theme and has a sloping roof to facilitate easier removal of snow.[19] The terminal was constructed at a cost of₹1.3 billion (US$15 million) as a part of an expansion project in the mid 2000s and was inaugurated on 14 February 2009.[12][23] There are nine parking bays with five connected byjet bridges to the terminal.[24][12]
In 2019, the authorities announced plans to construct a new airport terminal to handle onlyinternational flights with domestic flights operating from the older terminal.[25] In September 2021, theaviation minister announced the expansion of the existing terminal to 63,000 m2 (680,000 sq ft) at a cost of₹15 billion (US$180 million).[26] Other amenities include a food court, food outlets,handicraft shops,ATMs, and currency exchanges.[24][27]
In February 2009,Air India Express started weekly flights toDubai, the first regularly scheduled international flight from Srinagar.[12][14] However, due to low demand from passengers, the flights were terminated in January 2010.[28]
The airport is located about 12 km (7.5 mi) from Srinagar.[40] The airport has acar park which can accommodate 250 vehicles.[12] The government provides a paid bus service between the airport and the tourist reception center nearLal Chowk, while the Airports Authority of India operates a free bus service between the terminal and the airport entrance gate located about a 1 km (0.62 mi) away.[41] The airport is also served by taxis and car rental agencies, which have their booths outside the terminal.[24]
^Though the airport is officially known as Srinagar International Airport, and the proposed name change to Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport was not officially incorporated, the airport is also referred to by its proposed name of Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport.
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Media related toSheikh ul-Alam International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
