Rajkot Greenfield International Airport
# Rajkot Greenfield International Airport

Rajkot International Airport, also known as Hirasar Airport (IATA: HSR, ICAO: VAHS) is an international airport and a greenfield airport at Hirasar, Gujarat, India, serving the city of Rajkot and the Saurashtra region. It is located near the National Highway 8B (NH-8B) connecting Ahmedabad and Rajkot. It has a single runway for the operation of ‘C’ category aircraft. The airport was developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of ₹2,654 crore (US$330 million). The foundation stone for the construction of the airport was laid on 7 October 2017, and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 July 2023, which was previously expected to be done on 31 December 2023.

## History

The site clearance approval for the airport was granted by the Government of India in May 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the groundbreaking ceremony held on 7 October 2017. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) accorded environmental clearance (EC) to the project on 10 October 2017.

Land acquisition issues delayed the tendering process by a few months. Afcons, Dilip Buildcon, Gayatri Projects, Larsen & Toubro and Reliance Infrastructure were among the bidders for the Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) tender floated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The financial bids were opened on 9 August 2018 and Dilip Buildcon emerged as the lowest bidder. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for the project on 28 February 2019. Subsequently, in March 2019, Reliance Infrastructure was awarded the EPC contract worth ₹648 crore (US$81 million) to construct the airport. The construction was given a completion deadline of within 30 months. The contract also requires the contractor to provide operation and maintenance services for a period of two years following the commissioning of the project. The Central Government had initially sanctioned ₹1,405 crore (US$180 million) for the project, but revised the amount in June 2019 to ₹2,654 crore (US$330 million).

The airport was expected to be completed and opened on 31 December 2023. However, it was completed before time in the last quarter of June 2023, and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 July 2023.

## Infrastructure

The airport is capable of handling Airbus A380, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 type of widebody aircraft, and has a rainwater harvesting system, solar power system and a green belt along its periphery to act as a noise barrier. It has a built-up area of 23,000 sq.m. and has an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, four aerobridges, an apron suitable for parking of 14 aircraft, three conveyor belts, 20 check-in counters, advanced firefighting systems along with modern and efficient passenger facilities. It will be capable of serving over 1,800 passengers during peak hours. The facade design of the terminal is based on the Ranjit Vilas Palace and various traditional art forms like Dandiya dance, a renowned dance form of Gujarat. The airport, measuring 2,534 acres (10.25 $km^2),$ is situated 36 km from the existing Rajkot Airport, whose capacity is constrained and cannot be expanded because of urban growth around it.

