Rajkot to get a new greenfield airport by August 2022

Rajkot in Gujarat is set to obtain a new "greenfield" airport by August 2022.The new airport is being constructed on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway on more than 1,000 hectares of land at an estimated cost of Rs 1,405 crore.

Rajkot District Collector Arun Mahesh Babu told the media that the work on the new Greenfield airport at Hirasar is progressing at a good speed and will be launched shortly. On the occasion of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav', they are planning to launch the new airport in August subject to clearance from DGCA.

Babu said that the present airport is in the heart of the city and is suffering from considerable capacity restraints due to residential and commercial buildings, which have been built around it. The present airstrip is unable to serve aircrafts larger than Airbus 320 or Boeing 737-800.

At the new airport, runway length is proposed for 3040 m for serving B777-300ER/B747-400 types of aircraft. Out of a total of 1,032 hectares area, 437 hectares is an operational area and 595 hectares is a non-operational area. It will be capable of parking 14 aircraft (four in contact and 10 in remote) at a time. With a total built-up area of 23,000 sq m, the new terminal building of this new airport will be capable of handling 1,280 passengers during peak hours.

Sharing details of the current status of work, Babu said that presently over 78% of earthwork and 75% of the runway and other pavement works are done. The work for the terminal building and ATC tower is additionally in progress.

Babu said that the new airport will boost economic activity and employment, consumer behaviour change, and it will raise the standard of living of the people in the area. Rajkot is the fourth largest city in Gujarat after Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara.

Rajkot is the commercial capital of Saurashtra and is the hub of many manufacturing industries like watch parts, silk embroideries, and the jewellery market. The city additionally hosts various small-scale manufacturing industries, including machine tools, casting industry, forging industry, automotive parts, kitchen knives and other cutting gadgets, diesel engines and bearings.

The ceramic industry of Morbi and other industries of Jamnagar additionally depend on Rajkot for air connectivity.

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