Rajkot Airport

Rajkot Airport રાજકોટ વિમાનમથક
IATA: RAJ – ICAO: VARK RAJ Location of airport in India
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Airports Authority of India
Serves	Rajkot
Location	Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Elevation AMSL	134 m / 441 ft
Coordinates	22°18′33″N 070°46′46″E / 22.30917°N 70.77944°E
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 1,846 6,056 Asphalt
Statistics (Apr '14 – Mar '15)
Passenger movements 351,343 (14.7%) Aircraft movements 3,334 (14.5%) Cargo tonnage 134 (14.6%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

City-Side view of Rajkot Airport Terminal Building in Gujarat, India.

A Jet Airways aircraft and refuelling truck on the apron at Rajkot Airport in Gujarat, India

Rajkot Airport (IATA: RAJ, ICAO: VARK) is a public airport located at Rajkot, Gujarat, India. Daily flights are operated by Jet Airways and Air India. Rajkot Airport has parking apron for one Boeing 737 and one ATR 72, with the terminal having capacity for 125 people. It is the busiest airport in Saurastra region and third busiest in Gujarat after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and Vadodara Airport.^[4]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air India	Mumbai
Air India Regional	Delhi
Jet Airways	Bangalore, Mumbai

Statistics

2013	2012
306,441	283,291

Modernisation plans

Rajkot Urban Development Authority and Rajkot Municipal Corporation have proposed a plan to extend Rajkot airport runway from current 5,400 feet (1,600 m) to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) to accommodate larger aircraft and to provide connectivity to major cities besides Mumbai to cater to a large demand from the manufacturing companies located in Rajkot. The Airports Authority of India and Civil Aviation Ministry could not negotiate land acquisition price with Western Rail.

However, the airport now suffers from considerable capacity restraints, due to the expansion of the city and because of the residential and commercial buildings which have been built around it – this renders the plan to extend the runway unfeasible. The present strip is incapable of serving aircraft larger than Airbus 320 family/Boeing 737-800 (which is the largest aircraft operating from the airport). As such, plans for an entirely new airport have been submitted, and civil aviation minister Praful Patel has suggested that a new bigger airport be developed on 500 acres (2.0 km²) of land near Khirasara village on the Rajkot-Gondal-Jamnagar, around 10 km away from the city. The proposal has been accepted.^{[5] [6]}

References

1. http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k15annex3.pdf
2. http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k15annex2.pdf
3. http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k15annex4.pdf
4. "Rajkot – Airport Authority of India". AAI. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
5. "April 12, Plan to extend Rajkot airport runway grounded". The Indian Express. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
6. "June 4, AAI's 12th anniversary celebrations report.". Airport Authority of India. Retrieved 25 December 2007.

External links

• Rajkot Airport (AAI)
• Airport information for Rajkot
• "Licensed Aerodromes in India" (PDF). Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India. 10 November 2008.
• Airports Authority of India website: AirportsIndia.org.in or AAI.aero
• "ICAO Location Indicators by State" (PDF). International Civil Aviation Organization. 12 January 2006.
• "UN Location Codes: India". UN/LOCODE 2006-2. UNECE. 30 April 2007.
• Great Circle Mapper – IATA and ICAO codes