Veer Savarkar International Airport

Veer Savarkar International Airport (IATA: IXZ, ICAO: VOPB)[4] is a domestic airport located 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Port Blair and is the main airport of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Originally known as "Port Blair Airport", it was renamed in 2002 after Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who had been detained in the Cellular Jail in the city for 11 years during India’s freedom struggle.[5] It operates as a civil enclave, sharing airside facilities with INS Utkrosh of the Indian Navy.[6]

Veer Savarkar International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic/Military
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesAndaman and Nicobar Islands
LocationPort Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Opened20 January 2005 (20 January 2005)
Elevation AMSL4 m / 14 ft
Coordinates11°38′28″N 092°43′47″E
Map
IXZ is located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
IXZ
IXZ
Location of airport in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
IXZ is located in India
IXZ
IXZ
IXZ (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 3,290 10,795 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2022 - March 2023)
Passengers1,273,138 (Increase 67.2%)
Aircraft movements10,918 (Increase 48.3%)
Cargo tonnage6,358 (Increase 8.9%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Overview
Apron area of the airport

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, and Boeing 737. Except for the civilian terminals operated by the Airports Authority of India, all other air traffic operations over Port Blair are undertaken by the Indian Navy.[7]

Terminals

Terminal 1

The old terminal has a capacity of 400 passengers. It covers an area of 6,100 square metres.[8] It has two gates with no aerobridges. Buses are used to provide transportation from the terminal to the aircraft parked on the apron.

Terminal 2
Aerial view of Terminal 2 along with the old terminal on left

Due to increasing traffic, a new 40,837 sq.m. passenger terminal at a cost of ₹ 707 crore began construction in 2019. It has three floors–one for arrivals, second for departures and third for waiting. Inside the terminal, there are 28 check-in counters, four conveyor belts and three aerobridges. It will be able to handle 1,200 passengers (600 domestic and 600 international) at peak hours, and will be able to serve 5 million passengers per annum.[9] It was completed in June 2023 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 July 2023.[10][11]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinationsRefs.
Air IndiaChennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam
IndiGo Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai[12]
SpiceJet Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai
Seasonal: Bangalore		[13]
VistaraBangalore (begins 1 November 2023),[14] Delhi, Kolkata [15]

Statistics
Annual passenger traffic at IXZ airport. See Wikidata query.

References
  1. "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  2. "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  3. "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  4. "Here's what the Veer Savarkar International Airport to be inaugurated by PM Modi looks like". The Indian Express.
  5. "Lok Sabha Debates - Regarding Renaming Of Port Blair Airport In Andaman After The Name Of Port Blair airport on 8 May, 2002". www.indiankanoon.org. Government of India. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. "New Terminal Building at Port Blair Airport by March 2018". Press Information Bureau. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  7. "Andaman & Nicobar Command: Saga of Synergy". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  8. "PortBlair Airport".
  9. "Port Blair airport confirms new terminal – Business Traveller". Business Traveller.
  10. "Port Blair Airport's new terminal on track to open in October 2022". Airport Technology. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  11. "Port Blair Airport's New Terminal Building Inaugurated, PM Modi Says 'Ease of Travel Will Improve'". Times Now. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  12. "INDIGO 2H23 DOMESTIC NETWORK ADDITIONS". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  13. "SpiceJet schedule list". SpiceJet. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  14. "Air India and Vistara announce new flights from Bangalore". JetArena. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  15. "Vistara Flight Schedule". Retrieved 1 August 2023.

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