Rajkot International Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Rajkot Saurashtra | ||||||||||
| Location | Hirasar,Rajkot district,Gujarat,India | ||||||||||
| Opened | 27 July 2023; 2 years ago (2023-07-27)[1] | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 654 ft / 199 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 22°23′17″N71°01′42″E / 22.38806°N 71.02833°E /22.38806; 71.02833 | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
  HSR/VAHS Location in Gujarat Show map of Gujarat HSR/VAHS HSR/VAHS (India) Show map of India | |||||||||||
 Interactive map of Rajkot International Airport | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (April 2024 - March 2025) | |||||||||||
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| Source:AAI[3][4][5] | |||||||||||
Rajkot International Airport (IATA:HSR,ICAO:VAHS) is aninternational airport and agreenfield airport at Hirasar,Gujarat,India,[6] serving the city ofRajkot and theSaurashtra region of Gujarat. It is located near theNational Highway 8B (NH-8B) connectingAhmedabad andRajkot. It has a single runway for the operation of ‘C’ category aircraft.[7] The airport was developed by theAirports Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of₹2,654 crore (US$310 million).[8] Thefoundation stone for the construction of the airport was laid on 7 October 2017, and was inaugurated byPrime MinisterNarendra Modi on 27 July 2023, which was previously expected to be done on 31 December 2023.[1]
Flight operations began from 10 September 2023, by shifting all flight operations to this airport from the existingRajkot Airport. As of September 2023, the airport serves only domestic destinations, with international destinations expected to begin by the end of 2025.[9]
The site clearance approval for the airport was granted by theGovernment of India in May 2017.Prime MinisterNarendra Modi presided over the groundbreaking ceremony held on 7 October 2017. TheMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) accorded environmental clearance (EC) to the project on 10 October 2017.[10]
Land acquisition issues delayed the tendering process by a few months.[11]Afcons,Dilip Buildcon, Gayatri Projects,Larsen & Toubro andReliance Infrastructure were among the bidders for theEngineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) tender floated by theAirports Authority of India (AAI). The financial bids were opened on 9 August 2018 and Dilip Buildcon emerged as the lowest bidder. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for the project on 28 February 2019.[12] Subsequently, in March 2019, Reliance Infrastructure was awarded the EPC contract worth₹648 crore (US$77 million) to construct the airport. The construction was given a completion deadline of within 30 months.[13] The contract also requires the contractor to provide operation and maintenance services for a period of two years following the commissioning of the project.[7] The Central Government had initially sanctioned₹1,405 crore (US$170 million) for the project,[14] but revised the amount in June 2019 to₹2,654 crore (US$310 million).[8][15]
The airport was expected to be completed and opened on 31 December 2023. However, it was completed before time in the last quarter of June 2023, and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 July 2023.[1]
The airport is capable of handlingAirbus A380,Airbus A350,Boeing 777,Boeing 787 andBoeing 747[16][17] type of widebody aircraft, and has arainwater harvesting system, solar power system and a green belt along its periphery to act as a noise barrier. It has a built-up area of 23,000 m2 (250,000 sq ft) and has anAir Traffic Control (ATC) tower, 4aerobridges, an apron suitable for parking of 14 aircraft, 3 conveyor belts, 20 check-in counters, advanced firefighting systems along with modern and efficient passenger facilities. It will be capable of serving over 1,800 passengers during peak hours.The airport, measuring 2,534 acres (10.25 km2), is situated 36 km (22 mi) from the existingRajkot Airport, whose capacity is constrained and cannot be expanded because of urban growth around it.[18][19][1]
Passenger Terminal
The new terminal features modern amenities such as 256 CCTV cameras, 4 aerobridges, and parking for 14 aircraft. It is designed to accommodate up to 1,800 passengers at a time, ensuring seamless operations. Inspired by theRanjit Vilas Palace, the design showcases the rich cultural heritage of Saurashtra. Key facilities include 3 conveyor belts, 20 check-in counters, an advanced fire alarm system, 7 boarding gates and 8 immigration counters. It has the capacity to manage 14 flights per hour and can accommodate widebody aircraft.
Cargo Terminal
The cargo terminal, which was the original and temporary terminal handling passengers after the airport was inaugurated, is now converted to handle cargo operations.
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air India | Delhi,Mumbai |
| IndiGo | Bengaluru,Delhi,Goa–Mopa,Hyderabad,Mumbai,Pune |
| Ventura Airconnect | Surat |
The Rajkot Central Bus Port is connected with the airport via electric buses operated by theGujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC).
