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AAI approves Rajkot airport terminal expansion project
The Rajkot airport’s terminal expansion project received in-principle permission from the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
A local airport official told the media that with the rise in daily flights since 2018 and an increase in flights anticipated later this year, the current airport terminal’s capacity to accommodate 125 passengers would be inadequate.
The Rajkot airport was managing five flights per day in 2018, which has risen to eight flights per day presently. Three more daily flights are likely to be added soon.
The airport authority in Rajkot had first introduced the expansion of the terminal in 2018. It had proposed to expand the terminal towards the runway area. Since it needed clearance from the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the project proposal got stuck. Around two months ago, a fresh proposal was sent, and this time it planned to expand the terminal from the front side where DGCA approval is not needed.
Diganta Borah, Rajkot airport director, told the media that they received in-principal permission for the terminal expansion and after finalising the budget the work is likely to commence by December this year. He said that the terminal building capacity would expand to accommodate 200 passengers from the present 125.
Sources, however, told the media that even after expansion, two flights would not be able to land at the same time as it will congest the terminal area.
Under the expansion project, the airport authorities are intending to move the security cabins and airline counter. On Tuesday, a meeting was held with all the stakeholders to decide how the expansion project can be implemented, without affecting operations.
The new Rajkot airport is under construction at Hirasar and is likely to start operations by the end of 2023 or the start of 2024.
Currently, the Rajkot airport has one apron to park one big aircraft. Four more aprons are under construction, and it is likely to be ready by December. These new aprons will accommodate more flights and non-scheduled aircraft parking, notably during VIP movement.
Sources told the media that since the parking charges at Ahmedabad and Mumbai airports are high, compared to Rajkot, some aircraft may come here for parking, which would increase the airport revenue.
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