Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) is an international airport serving the twin cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India. The airport is located in Hansol, north of central Ahmedabad. It is named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of India. This airport is the busiest and largest airport in the Indian state of Gujarat. In fiscal year 2020-21, it handled about 3.64 million passengers making it the seventh-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic in India. The airport serves as a focus city for GoAir. In 2015, the  government started the procedure for the privatization of the airport. The new Dholera International Airport is being developed due to expansion constraints at the current airport. It was awarded as “Most improved airport” in Asia-Pacific region by the Airports Council International for 2017. History. The airport was set up in 1937, while international operations began on 26 January 1991. It was categorised as an International airport on 23 May 2000. In March 2004, Ahmedabad gained a nonstop link to the United Kingdom, which is home to a large Gujarati community. Air India commenced a Boeing 747 service to London 's Heathrow Airport, with Jet Airways joining a few years later. However, both carriers decided to withdraw their flights in 2008. Air India then began a route to Frankfurt, which lasted until the airline closed its hub in the German city in 2010. In 2010, the new Terminal 2 was inaugurated for handling international passengers. A statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was also inaugurated at the airport. In 2015, the AAI invited proposals for privatization of Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Jaipur airports. Air India reinstated direct services to London the following year. A 700 kWp rooftop solar plant was commissioned  at the airport on 21 March 2017. Structure. The airport currently consists of four terminals: domestic, international, an additional terminal for secondary traffic and a cargo terminal as well. The airport has 45 parking bays and both the international and domestic terminals have four aero-bridges each. The new terminal has been modelled based on Singapore Changi Airport. The new terminal has a half-kilometre-long moving walkway, which connects the two terminals. Airports Authority of India (AAI) will construct a new technical block which will enhance the flight handling capacity and provide better control of flights. Runway. The airport  has a single runway that is long. Air traffic control tower. As part of the airport modernisation process, the AAI announced that it would construct a new air traffic control (ATC) building that would include a new airport tower in height. Terminals. Terminal 1. Terminal 1 is used for domestic flights and has 32 check-in counters and has an area of . In December 2018, a new Plaza Premium lounge was opened at Terminal 1 (near Gate 4 on first floor), which caters for Priority Pass and other select bank cards as well as some business class passengers based on  airline flown. Terminal 2. Terminal 2 was inaugurated on 5 July 2010 and opened for international flights on 15 September 2010. The terminal won the award for the best Steel Structure at the 2009 edition of the National Structural Steel Design and Construction Awards. The terminal has four aerobridges and 32 check-in counters. With the total floor area of approximately 41,000 sq. meters, this terminal will be able to accommodate around 1,600 passengers at any given time. In November 2018, a new Plaza Premium lounge was opened at the international departures area of Terminal 2, which caters for business  class and first class passengers as well as passengers holding Priority Pass and other bank cards. The new apron area can cater for the parking of nine A-321 and four ATR-72 type of aircraft. Terminal 3. Terminal 3 will come up next to Terminal 1. This brand new terminal will be used solely for domestic flights. The foundation and construction work begun in early 2019, and this terminal will negate the need for the older Terminal 1. Cargo Terminal. The airport handled 51,637 tonnes of cargo, inclusive of gold and silver in 2013–14. Sixty percent of the cargo comes from  domestic sources. In 2009, of land was leased for a period of seven years out by the AAI to Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation to set up a center for perishable cargo. However, due to a government policy that prevented third-party operations at airports run by the AAI, the CPC was not in use until July 2014, when the minister of state for civil aviation announced that the government had issued a No Objection Certificate for commencement of operations. In 2014, it was announced that the airport would be getting a dedicated cargo terminal which is expected to come up  at Terminal 3.