Veer Savarkar International Airport

Veer Savarkar International Airport वीर सावरकर अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डा Vīra Sāvarakara Antarrāshṭrīya Havāī Aḍḍā
IATA: IXZ – ICAO: VOPB
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Airports Authority of India
Serves	Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Hub for	Jal Hans
Elevation AMSL	14 ft / 4 m
Coordinates	11°38′28″N 092°43′47″E / 11.64111°N 92.72972°ECoordinates: 11°38′28″N 092°43′47″E / 11.64111°N 92.72972°E
Map
IXZ IXZ
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 04/22 10,795 3,290 Asphalt
Statistics (2014)
Passenger movements 815,873(7.8%) Aircraft movements 9,642(14.1%) Cargo tonnage 3,046(13.4%)
Source: AAI[1][2]

Veer Savarkar International Airport also known as Port Blair Airport (IATA: IXZ, ICAO: VOPB), is a customs airport located 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Port Blair and is the main airport of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. It is named after the Indian freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. It operates as a civil enclave, sharing airside facilities with INS Utkrosh of the Indian Navy. ^[3]

Overview

The airport has a single runway of 3,290 m (10,794 ft) in length, accommodating most narrow-body aircraft, that includes Airbus A320, Airbus A321, Boeing 737. Restricted Area Permits for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are available on entry. Except for the civilian terminal operated by the Airports Authority of India, all other air traffic operations over Port Blair are undertaken by the Indian Navy.^[4]

There is only one terminal with 2 gates and no aerobridges. Buses are used to provide transportation from the terminal to the aircraft parked on the apron. In 2009, construction work commenced to expand the apron.

New terminal

Port Blair Airport runway from Jogger's park, Port Blair.

A new terminal building is under construction and is scheduled for commissioning by March 2018. The AAI had initially projected a requirement of 26 acres of land for construction of the new terminal building. The local administration reduced it to almost 19 acres, 10.60 acres of which has been acquired from the Andaman & Nicobar Administration, 4.72 acres is from the Indian Navy, and the remaining 3.39 acres is yet to be acquired.^[3]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air India	Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam
SpiceJet	Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata
GoAir	Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad (begins 22 December 2016),[5] Kolkata, Mumbai
IndiGo	Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata
Jet Airways	Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune
Vistara	Delhi, Kolkata

Seaplane services

Airlines	Destinations
Jal Hans	Diglipur, Havelock Island, Little Andaman

References

1. "TRAFFIC STATISTICS - DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL PASSENGERS" (jsp). Aai.aero. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
2. List of busiest airports in India by passenger traffic
3. "New Terminal Building at Port Blair Airport by March 2018". Press Information Bureau. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
4. "Andaman & Nicobar Command: Saga of Synergy". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
5. "GoAir Hyderabad launch". Retrieved 15 September 2016.

External links

• Vir Savarkar Airport (official Airports Authority of India web site)
• Port Blair Airport - India Airport Global Website
• Airport information for VOPB at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.