TBM Staff - Mumbai
The under-construction Rajkot International Airport (RIA) is set to receive a permanent terminal building next month. Currently, the airport handles an average of 10 domestic flights daily.
On the same day, the Congress staged a dharna at Bahumali Bhavan Chowk in Rajkot, alleging that the INR 1,405 crore spent on developing the airport has been wasted. They claim RIA is providing services already available at the old Rajkot Airport. This protest followed media reports suggesting the new terminal building might not be able to handle both international and domestic air travellers simultaneously.
RIA Director Diganta Borah addressed these concerns, stating no airline has proposed international flights yet. “Airlines have not made any proposal for international flights. The terminal building will start with domestic flight operations,” he said. Borah emphasised that the permanent terminal will have ample space to handle both domestic and international passengers by appropriately allocating check-in, immigration, and customs counters. An exclusive international terminal will be built once the number of international flights increases.
The foundation stone for the new airport at Hirasar village, 31 km east of Rajkot, was laid by Prime Minister Modi on October 7, 2017. The airport was inaugurated on July 27, 2023, and flight operations were shifted from the old Rajkot Airport on September 10, 2023. Since then, RIA has been operating out of a temporary terminal converted from a cargo terminal. The permanent terminal, initially expected to be ready by March 2024, is now planned to be operational in August. The new terminal will have 36 check-in counters and a capacity to handle 2,800 passengers per hour, compared to the temporary terminal’s eight check-in counters and 400-passenger capacity.
