The Rajkot International Airport (RIA) authorities have said that there are no plans to start operating international flights there as no airline has submitted proposals for it, The Indian Express reported.
The airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a year ago, is still under-construction. It is likely to get a permanent terminal in August. Currently, the airport handles 10 domestic flights on an average.
“Airlines have not made any proposal for international flight. The terminal building will start with domestic flight operations,” RIA Director Diganta Borah said.
The temporary terminal has eight check-in counters, while the permanent terminal will feature 36. Additionally, the permanent terminal will accommodate 2,800 passengers per hour, significantly surpassing the temporary terminal’s capacity of 400 passengers per hour. In comparison, the Rajkot Airport could only manage 200 passengers per hour.
PM Modi had inaugurated Gujarat’s first greenfield airport near Rajkot last year in July. The airport is being developed at a cost of Rs 1,405 crore and about 30-kilometres from Rajkot in Hirasar village spanning an area of 1025.50 hectares (2534 acres).
The airport features a well-designed runway, measuring 3.04 km (3,040 meters) in length and 45 meters in width, capable of accommodating up to 14 planes simultaneously. Its apron spans 50,800 square meters, while the passenger terminal covers 23,000 square meters, with an impressive capacity to manage 1,280 travelers per hour during peak times.
