Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport

Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (IATA: VNS, ICAO: VEBN) is an international airport serving Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located at Babatpur,[4] 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Varanasi. Formerly known as Varanasi Airport, it was officially renamed after Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 2nd Prime Minister of India, in October 2005.[5] It is the 20th-busiest airport in India in terms of passenger movement, and the second-busiest airport in Uttar Pradesh. The airport is awarded as the best airport in Asia-Pacific in 2020 (2 to 5 million passengers per annum) by Airports Council International.[6]

Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport
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Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of India
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesVaranasi
LocationBabatpur, Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Elevation AMSL270 ft / 82.30 m
Coordinates25°27′08″N 082°51′34″E
WebsiteVaranasi Airport
Map
VNS is located in Uttar Pradesh
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Location of airport in Uttar Pradesh
VNS is located in India
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VNS (India)
VNS is located in South Asia
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VNS (South Asia)
VNS is located in Middle East
VNS
VNS
VNS (Middle East)
VNS is located in Asia
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VNS (Asia)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,745 9,006 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2022 - March 2023)
Passengers2,521,442 (Increase 47.6%)
Aircraft movements19,158 (Increase 18.7%)
Cargo tonnage4,729 (Increase 8.8%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Terminal
Lal Bahadur Shastri statue at Varanasi Airport

An integrated terminal serves both domestic and international flights, with a floor area of 3,900 square metres (42,000 square feet).[7] The terminal features 16 check-in counters with CUTE (common-user terminal equipment), four immigration counters that double up as emigration counters, and two baggage-claim belts.[8] Besides an upper-level seating area for the aero-bridge gates, the terminal features a ground-level gate to reach other aircraft on the apron on foot, or via shuttle bus.[8] The apron can simultaneously park five narrow-body aircraft.[9] The waiting area features essential services for the passengers, besides snack stalls, a travellers' convenience store, a bookstore with a newsstand, and stores selling merchandise indigenous to Varanasi, such as Banarasi Saris; and a VIP waiting lounge.[10]

Replica of varanasi ghats at varanasi airport
Replica of Varanasi ghats at Varanasi Airport

Airfield

The airport features a single asphalt runway bearing 09/27. It is 9,006 feet (2,745 m) in length, with turnarounds on both ends, and two exits to the main apron.[8] A third, seldom-used exit leads to an isolated apron for use in emergency.[8]

An IndiGo aircraft being serviced by an aerobridge at Varanasi Airport

Airlines and destinations
Apron area of the airport
AirlinesDestinations
Air India Delhi, Mumbai[11]
Air India Express Bangalore (begins 29 October 2023),[12] Sharjah
Akasa Air Bangalore, Mumbai[13]
Buddha AirKathmandu
IndiGo Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa–Mopa,[14] Hyderabad, Khajuraho,[15] Kolkata, Lucknow,[16] Mumbai, Pune[14][17]
Nok Air Bangkok–Don Mueang, Gaya (both begin 1 November 2023)[18]
SpiceJet Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad,[19] Khajuraho (resumes 29 October 2023),[20] Jaipur (resumes 29 October 2023),[21] Kolkata (resumes 29 October 2023),[22] Mumbai[23]
VistaraDelhi, Mumbai[24][25]

Future plans

Due to increasing passenger traffic and aircraft movements the Airports Authority of India is planning to extend the runway to 4,075 m (13,369 ft) from the existing 2,750 m (9,020 ft). An underpass will be constructed as the expansion will intersect with National Highway 31.[26]

In November 2019, the Airports Authority of India came up with a proposal for a new second terminal, which will be completed by 2024. The total area of the terminal will be 58,691 m² with passenger capacity of 4.5 million per year.[27]

See also

References
  1. "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  2. "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  3. "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  4. "Varanasi". Airports Authority of India. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  5. "Varanasi Airport renamed". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 20 October 2005.. It acquired its position in India's major airports after more than 1.5 million passengers used the airport in 2017.
  6. "2020 - Best Airport by Size and Region". ACI World. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  7. "Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or Varanasi Airport (VNS)".
  8. "Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or Varanasi Airport (VNS)". AAI. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  9. "Varanasi Airport (VNS), Varanasi International Airport | IndiGo". www.goindigo.in. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  10. "Shopping". AAI. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  11. "Time Table". www.airindia.in. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  12. "Schedule". Air India Express. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  13. "Akasa Air Flight Network". Akasa Air. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  14. "INDIGO 1H23 DOMESTIC ROUTES ADDITION SUMMARY – 05MAR23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  15. Velani, Bhavya (22 August 2023). "IndiGo Launches the New and 80th Destination as Khajuraho". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  16. "CM Adityanath inaugurates first flight service between Lucknow, Varanasi". Press Trust of India. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  17. "Flights Schedule for Domestic & International Flights | IndiGo". www.goindigo.in. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  18. "Nok Air Plans Gaya / Varanasi Service in NW23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  19. "SpiceJet schedule list". SpiceJet. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  20. "SpiceJet to resume Varanasi-Khajuraho service from Oct-2023". CAPA. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  21. "SpiceJet to resume Jaipur-Varanasi service from Oct-2023". CAPA. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  22. Velani, Bhavya (14 September 2023). "SpiceJet Adds New Flights to Its Winter Schedule – Exclusive". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  23. "News for Airlines, Airports and the Aviation Industry | CAPA".
  24. "Vistara Flight Destinations (Network) in India - Route Map". www.airvistara.com.
  25. "Vistara adds Khajuraho flights". Vistara. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  26. "UP airport 1st to have national highway under runway - Times of India". The Times of India. 5 June 2018.
  27. "गंगा की लहरों व शिवलिंग सा होगा वाराणसी एलबीएस इंटरनेशनल एयरपोर्ट टर्मिनल, डिजाइन तैयार". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). 10 November 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.

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