Ahmedabad Airport

 The Ahmedabad airport handles nearly three fourth of the air traffic of the state. The airport handled 2.4 million passengers in 2007-08 and is expected to handle 6 million passengers in 2010 and 9 million in 2012, including both domestic and international passengers.

Presently the airport is under expansion on the terminal and apron side and hence the capacity would be enhanced by 2009. The new domestic terminal is already in operation and new international terminal and apron are under construction. The capacity at the Ahmedabad airport cannot be segregated between international and domestic passengers as they share a common runway and apron. The international side apron will be used for parking domestic flights during peak hours.

The capacity of Ahmedabad airport post 2009 expansion would be as follows:

Exhibit: Capacity of Ahmedabad airport post 2009 expansion

Source: AAI, Ahmedabad

Based on above expansion plan and if the runway capacity remains the same, the airport will have annual handling capacity of around 53 lakh domestic passengers and around 23 lakh international passenger considering 24 hours of operations. This will imply around 300 takeoffs and landings nearing the design peak runway capacity of 350 landings/takeoffs in 24 hours.

It appears that the limit of domestic passengers would be reached by 2011-12 and that for international passengers would be reached by 2013-14. However considering full capacity utilisation during peak hours and slack utilisation during off peak hours, the capacity limitations could be reached a year earlier. The limitation primarily arises from runway capacity. Further expansion will be constrained due to the non availability of land in the vicinity of present airport.

Thus Ahmedabad would require new airport capacity by 2011-13 periods, the exact threshold being reached depending on the demand. This can probably be met through a new international airport, with all its attendant benefits in terms of being a growth trigger for the region.

Vadodara Airport

Vadodara is the second largest airport in Gujarat. The existing airport has facilities of handling A-320/100, B-737-200/400/400/800 and ATR and military aircrafts. Airport has four parking bays capable of handle B-737s/A320s. Present passenger handling capacity of terminal is around 200 and car parking capacity of domestic terminal is 136. It does not have any cargo terminal. Isolation bay at airport and shoulders for runway do not exist.

Bhavnagar Airport

IBhavnagar airport serves ports and port based industries developed in its vicinity. Its peak hour passenger handling capacity is for 100 pax both for arrival and departure. Its parking apron is of size 350 ft x 250 ft having capacity to handle two B-737 type aircraft at a time. Its runway is 6300 ft. Presently it is equipped with only a small terminal building.

Based on apron capacity Bhavnagar can handle upto 7-10 lakh passengers which are adequate for the period upto 2020.

Kutchh Airports: Bhuj, Gandhidham and Mundra

.The Shyamji Krishna Verma Airport at Bhuj is located near the Rudra Mata Air Force base.

Porbandar, Surat and Kesod Airports

The Porbandar airport has a newly constructed terminal building of current peak hour capacity of 100 pax for both arrival and departure. The airport is capable for operation of B-737 types of aircrafts. It has a car parking capacity is 50 cars at a time. Its parking apron is of size 300 ft x 200 ft having capacity to handle one B-737 type aircraft at a time. New terminal building and some infrastructure facilities have been recently developed.

The airport has no demand and hence there is no urgent need for upgradation. The airport can be upgraded to handle smaller aircrafts regularly at relatively smaller cost.

The Surat airport was constructed by the Government of Gujarat on a 312 hectare plot on Dumas road near Magdalla but its operations are handled by AAI. Its runway is 1400 meter long and capable of handling A-320 and B-737types of aircraft. It doesn’t have a cargo complex.

Almost all the above airports lack night landing facilities. AAI plans to develop them.

Other Airports and Airstrips

In addition to the above airports, there are a number of unused airstrips at the following locations: Mehsana, Deesa (AAI), Amreli, Mandvi, Ankleswar, Morvi, Wankaner, Khambhalia (IAF), Limdi, Dhangadhra, and Radhanpur. Many of these air strips were developed by erstwhile princely states and are presently in state of neglect. The Mehsana and Ankleswar airports also have a terminal building. The scope of development of these airports exists.