Ahmedabad, Oct 28 — Ongoing upgradation work at the Keshod Airport in Gujarat was reviewed by Samir Kumar Sinha, secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and Puneet Kansal, chairman, Airports Authority of India (AAI), along with a member (planning), AAI, on Wednesday.
The review focused on project implementation, adherence to stipulated timelines and quality standards, and effective coordination to ensure the timely completion of works as per schedule, while maintaining the required quality standards, the AAI said.
Upgradation of the Keshod Airport is expected to be completed by January 2027, following which Airbus A320 and Boeing B737 aircraft would be able to operate from it. This will be a big boost for tourism.
The airport is located barely 40-60 km from the Gir National Park and Sasan Gir, the only natural habitat of the endangered Asiatic lion. It is also close to the Somnath Temple and the Girnar Jain Temples, as well as the Uparkot Fort, Buddhist caves and the historic Adi Kati Vav and Navghan Kuvo stepwells.
Spread over an area of 450 acres, Keshod Airport was built by the Nawab of Junagadh, Nawab Mohabat Khan, in the early 1930s for his personal use.
It later fell into disuse before being revived in the late 1980s for commercial flights. The last flight from the airport at that stage was in 2000 by Jet Airways.
After the launch of the RCS-UDAN scheme, Keshod Airport was listed as an RCS airport, and after several infrastructure upgradation works and with an accorded DGCA license for public use as an aerodrome, it started commercial flights again on April 17, 2022, the AAI said.
Now, Alliance Air operates regular flights from the airport. Upgradation of the airport was taken up after the Government of Gujarat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AAI in December 2023, agreeing to provide 205 Acres for its development.
The redevelopment is estimated to cost nearly Rs 363 crore and includes the construction of a 6,500 square metre new terminal building, expansion of its existing runway to 2,500 metres x 45 metres, construction of a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, and an apron to handle up to three Airbus A320/Boeing B737 narrow-body aircraft. Runway 05/23 will be strengthened and extended under Phase I.
A link taxiway, a 701-metre-long parallel taxi track, an apron, an isolation bay, a perimeter road, and an operational boundary wall will also be constructed as part of Phase I.
"We expect a high volume of traffic at Keshod after the upgradation is completed and larger aircraft start operating. International tourists will also start using the airport as connectivity goes up to more locations across the country. There are enough facilities all around to handle more tourist volumes," an official said.