Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Gujarat’s first Greenfield airport – Hirasar Greenfield Airport- on July 27 and for this, preparations have already been started by the Rajkot district administration and the airport authority.
On October 7, 2017, PM Modi had performed Bhumi Poojan for the construction of an international airport in Hirasar village near Chotila. The new airport is likely to give a new impetus to the economy of Saurashtra and Gujarat. After Bhumi Pujan in 2017, a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the Airport Authority of India and the Civil Aviation Department of the Government of Gujarat for the construction of a new Greenfield airport. Rajkot is an important economic centre for Gujarat and India due to its small scale as well as large industries. The city is playing an important role in complex supply chains with a global perspective, which is expected to grow rapidly. Air connectivity with the international market will boost industrial growth, which in turn, will generate new employment opportunities. Apart from this, the new airport will also lead to a lot of commercial development in Rajkot. The airport is located on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway, due to which the airport will reduce time and cost related to logistics for multiple industries located in the area. The ceramic industry of Morbi and other industries of Jamnagar are also dependent on Rajkot for air connectivity. This new airport will promote travel logistics, hotel industry, restaurants, warehouse-cargo handling, clearing business etc. Rajkot International Airport has been included under the PM Gati Shakti project. An international Greenfield airport has been constructed at a cost of ₹1,405 crore near Hirasar Village near National Highway No-27, about 30 km from Rajkot.
The entire airport complex is spread over 1,025.50 hectares (2,534 acres), of which 1,500 acres have been developed by the Airport Authority of India. The airport has a 3,040 m (3.04 km) long and 45 m wide runway, which can park 14 aircraft at a time. 50,800 square meters of apron bays have been built. A passenger terminal has been built in 23 thousand square meters. This terminal can handle 1,280 passengers every hour during peak hours. ‘C’-type planes can also be operated from this new Greenfield airport, and arrangements have been made for ‘E’-type planes in future. This will allow the people of Rajkot and Saurashtra to avail the services of larger aircraft like Airbus A-380, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777. Solar power system, green belt and rain water harvesting system have also been installed at the airport. The airport will also have parallel half taxi-way, rapid exit taxi track, interim terminal building, Cargo and MRO/hangars facilities.
Greenfield Airport has recently been given the International Aeronautical Information Publication (A.I.P) tag. This tag is very important for the operation of the aircraft. The airport will be equipped with unique facilities, including four passenger boarding bridges, three conveyor belts and 8 check-in counters (another 12 check-in counters will be built in the future). Along with this, the airport will be equipped with advanced fire fighting and fire alarm system.