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Surat Airport

(Redirected from Morarji Desai Domestic Airport)

Surat Airport[4] (IATA: STV, ICAO: VASU) is an international airport serving Surat, Southern Gujarat. It is located in Magdalla, situated 12 km (6.4 mi) from the city centre. It has a total area of 770 acres (312 ha), and is the second busiest airport in Gujarat after Ahmedabad, in terms of both aircraft movements and passenger traffic. It was awarded the status of a customs airport on 9 June 2018, and the international status was approved by the cabinet on 15 December 2023.[5][6]

Surat Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesSurat
LocationMagdalla, Surat, Gujarat, India
Elevation AMSL16 ft / 5 m
Coordinates21°7′3.57″N 072°44′42.93″E / 21.1176583°N 72.7452583°E / 21.1176583; 72.7452583
WebsiteSurat Airport
Maps
STV is located in Gujarat
STV
STV
Location of airport in Gujarat
STV is located in India
STV
STV
STV (India)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
04/22 9,530 2,905 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2023 – March 2024)
Passengers1,380,752 (Increase 11.4%)
Aircraft movements14,947 (Increase 3.4%)
Cargo tonnage5,930 (Increase 19%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

History

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The airport was built by the Government of Gujarat in the early 1970s. Safari Airways, owned by Vijaypat Singhania of Raymond Group, operated regular services to Bombay and Bhavnagar using Douglas DC-3 aircraft in the 1970s.[7] During the 1990s, Vayudoot and Gujarat Airways flew to Surat, but discontinued their flights in May 1994 and January 2000, respectively. The airport, with a 1,400-metre (4,600 ft) airstrip and an adjoining 60 by 40 metres (200 ft × 130 ft) apron was then transferred to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in 2003, who began to modernise the airport.[8] After a failed initial attempt in July 2004 to connect Surat with Mumbai and Bhavnagar due to poor airport infrastructure,[9] the now-defunct airline Air Deccan operated an ATR-42 aircraft daily from November 2004 to July 2005.[10]

In 2007, the airport's 1,400-metre long runway was extended to 2,250 metres, to enable landing of larger aircraft. Subsequently, commercial services resumed on 6 May 2007, with an Indian Airlines Airbus A319 flight to Delhi flagged off by the former Minister of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel.[11] However, in October 2007, the runway was reportedly damaged due to poor quality of work during its extension.[12] As a result, a limitation was imposed on the runway to not allow more than two operations of aircraft having weight of over 75,000 kg up to its rated capacity of 80,000 kg, until the runway was repaired.[13]

In 2009, the AAI announced that the airport required 864 hectares of land, and the state government had allocated such land for the development. Planned improvements at the airport included a capacity to handle up to seven jets at a time and extending the runway to 3,810 metres. The extension work of the runway was to have begun in 2009.[14] The November 2014 collision of a buffalo with a SpiceJet Boeing 737 aircraft prompted the AAI to address the safety issues at the airport and extend the runway from 2,250 metres to 2,905 metres, at a cost of ₹500 million.[13] The runway extension and repair was taken up in three phases. In the first phase, the runway was extended by 655 metres.[15]

The adjoining concrete apron measures 235 by 90 metres, and is linked by two taxiways to its sole runway that is oriented 04/22, was 2,250 metres long and 45 metres wide, but was extended to 2,905 metres in 2017. The airfield is equipped with night landing facilities and an Instrument Landing System (ILS), as well as navigational facilities like DVOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) and a Non-Directional Beacon (NDB).[16]

Terminal

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Arrivals area of the airport

Integrated terminal

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The new airport terminal building was inaugurated on 27 February 2009 by the former Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Dinsha Patel.[14] The terminal building, constructed at the cost of ₹400 million, has a total floor area of 8,500 m2 (91,000 sq ft) and can handle 240 passengers per hour. It is equipped with CCTV cameras, two baggage carousels in the arrivals hall, and one hand baggage X-ray machine, among other modern facilities like two aerobridges with Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS), two elevators and two escalators, and a 120-seat lounge. Coffee Culture and other shops have been added.

Expanded terminal

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The construction work for the expansion of the terminal started in March 2020. The budget for the project is ₹ 353 crore, and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 December 2023.[17] It has a total area of 25,520 square metres (274,700 sq ft). It is capable of handling 1,800 passengers (1,200 domestic and 600 international) during peak hours daily, with a provision of handling a further 3,000 passengers at peak hours, and 5.5 million passengers annually, an increase from the earlier 3.5 million passengers. It is equipped with 20 check-in counters, 26 immigration counters, 5 aerobridges from the existing three, baggage conveyors, and parking spaces to accommodate 475 cars. It is designed keeping the local culture and heritage in mind, so, the facade is inspired by the old Kashta houses of Rander, a costal town in Surat district. It is also equipped with sustainability features and has been made eco-friendly with a Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) 4-star compliant, given for including a double-insulated roofing system, a low-heat gain double-glazing unit, canopies for energy saving, a rainwater harvesting system, sewage treatment and water treatment plants among others.[18]

The other infrastructure developments at the airport added includes an extension of the apron for an additional 10 bays for code 'C' type aircraft, and a full-length parallel taxiway connecting the runway.[19] The expansion has turned the airport into an international airport.[20]

Cargo terminal

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The cargo terminal of the airport was inaugurated on 29 January 2020.[21] The Airports Authority of India (AAI) approved a plan for the modular cargo terminal at the airport. After the approval of the tender, work on constructing of new cargo terminal was awarded to a Surat-based company for the 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) cargo complex with a ground-level area of 10,800 square feet (1,000 m2) and first-floor area of 3,200 square feet (300 m2) respectively. Construction of the cargo terminal was completed within the project completion period of 13 months. The AAI has future plans to build a cargo terminal at the airport and has reserved land for the same.[22]

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Air India Express Bangalore, Delhi, Dubai–International,[23] Hyderabad,[24] Kolkata, Sharjah
IndiGo Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Diu,[25] Dubai–International,[26] Goa–Dabolim, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune[27]
Star Air Hyderabad

Statistics

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Annual passenger traffic at STV airport. See Wikidata query.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Surat Airport". Airport Authority of India. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  5. ^ Gupta, Deepak (9 June 2018). "CUSTOM NOTIFICATION: SURAT AIRPORT NOTIFIED AS CUSTOMS AIRPORT". StudyCafe. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Union Cabinet gives nod, Surat airport goes international". The Times of India. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  7. ^ "AVIATION HISTORY". Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Airports Authority of India Starts Work on Surat Airport". Business Standard. 16 February 2004. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  9. ^ "Air Deccan's maiden Surat flight washed out". rediff.com. 19 July 2004. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Air Deccan suspends Surat operations". Business Standard. 18 July 2005. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  11. ^ "Magdalla airport upgraded for connectivity". The Times of India. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Runway damage scars still hover over Surat airport". The Times of India. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Runway extension work speeded up at airport". The Times of India. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Surat airport: AAI asks govt for 864 ha". DNA. 28 February 2009. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  15. ^ "Work to extend Surat airport runway to begin in July". The Times of India. 20 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  16. ^ AAI website, 18 August 2010, archived from the original on 28 January 2012, retrieved 31 October 2011
  17. ^ "PM Modi inaugurates new terminal at Surat airport". The Economic Times. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  18. ^ "PM Modi to launch new terminal of Surat Airport today; check its features". Hindustan Times. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  19. ^ "AAI issues work order for Surat airport terminal extension". The Times of India. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  20. ^ "Surat airport to be converted into an international one: Jayant Sinha". Mint. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Domestic cargo terminal at Surat airport to be inaugurated on January 29". The Times of India. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  22. ^ "News for Airlines, Airports and the Aviation Industry | CAPA". centreforaviation.com. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Air India Express To Start Dubai Operations From Surat Airport". The Blunt Times. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Air India Express to launch Hyderabad-Surat flights from January 2024". JetArena. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  25. ^ "IndiGo's newest connection: Diu linked directly to Ahmedabad & Surat". United News of India. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  26. ^ "INDIGO ADDS SURAT – DUBAI IN LATE-1Q24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  27. ^ "INDIGO 2H23 DOMESTIC NETWORK ADDITIONS". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
 
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