Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is located at Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, India. It is operated by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and serves the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. The airport is named after former Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The airport covers an area of 1,124 acres and its passenger traffic was approximately 11.4 million in 2019. It serves as a hub for Blue Dart Aviation, Kingfisher Airlines and Spicejet Airlines. Several other Indian carriers such as Indian Airlines and Jet Airways also use Sardar International.
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The traffic at the airport is expected to be reduced after the opening of a new greenfield airport called Dholera International Airport in 2024.
A 700kWp rooftop solar plant was commissioned at the airport in March 2017.
Sardar International expansion
Expansion works to increase the airport’s passenger capacity have been completed. As part of the expansion, four aero-bridges have been constructed at the domestic and international terminals. In addition, a new technical block to increase flight capacity was constructed.
Terminals
The airport currently has three terminals, Terminal 1 to handle domestic operations, Terminal 2 for international operations and a cargo terminal. A new international terminal, Terminal 3, has also been built recently.
Terminal 1 has two floors dedicated to arrival and departure areas. The ground floor of the building accommodates three boarding gates. Level 1 on the ground floor incorporates baggage reclaim and 30 check-in counters.
The domestic terminal also features eateries, retail outlets, bookshops and a VIP Lounge. The arrivals section consists of three luggage belts and ground transport desks. Terminal 1 provides 250 spaces for car parking and the construction of additional parking spaces is underway. Upon completion of the works at Terminal 1 the number of parking bays at the airport will increase from 15 to 45.
Terminal 2 is the current international terminal and covers an area of 7,825m². It is equipped to accommodate 500 passengers. This terminal building also consists of departure and arrival areas. The departure hall features six immigration counters, a restaurant, a duty-free shop, a gift shop, and two customs counters.
The arrival hall consists of one entry gate, two luggage belts, a currency exchange point and eateries. Seven immigration counters are situated in the arrival area. The international terminal also has 23 check-in counters and provides 200 car parking spaces. Facilities for the disabled are also offered at the terminal. Currently, Sardar International lacks conference facilities.
The cargo terminal operations consist of 44% domestic and 56% international air freight.
New Terminal 3
The new Terminal 3 has been built in two phases. The first phase was developed by Italian Thai Development (ITD) and Mumbai-based Pratibha Consortium, and the second phase was developed by M S Khurana Engineering Limited. The new terminal was designed based on the Singapore Changi Airport and was planned according to the guidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The terminal was opened for public in September 2010.
The terminal building covers an area of 41,000m² and can accommodate 1,600 passengers. It features both arrival and departure areas with four aerobridges and 32 check-in counters. The terminal also provides 900 car parking spaces. A travelator has been installed to connect the new terminal to the domestic terminal.
The new terminal will also provide additional space for cargo operations. When the terminal became operational there were plans to use the existing international terminal (Terminal 2) to increase cargo operations.
Initially, the new terminal was planned as a dedicated international terminal. However, it was later decided to use it for arriving passengers during Hajj pilgrimage as well as for cargo.
Runway
The airport has a single runway, designated 5/23. The length and width of the runway are 3,489m and 46m respectively. The runway is surfaced with concrete and asphalt.
Sardar-Ahmedabad transport links
There are numerous taxis which operate to and from the airport. Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) runs a local bus service to the airport.
A direct metro rail service is being planned to link the city centre with the airport.
The international and domestic terminals provide 200 and 250 spaces for car parking respectively. The new Terminal 3 provides up to 900 car park spaces.
