Cabinet approves development of New Greenfield Airport at Hirasar, Rajkot, Gujarat

No: --- Dated: Feb, 28 2019

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for development of New Greenfield Airport at Hirasar, Rajkot, Gujarat at an estimated cost of Rs.1405 crore.

The existing airport at Rajkot is severely land constrained having only 236 acres (approx.) of land and situated in the heart of the city. This Airport suffers from considerable capacity restraints due to the presence of residential & commercial buildings around it. Railway line and State Highway located around the airport on eastern side also prohibits the extension of the runway. Thus there is no feasibility to expand the airport on city or airside, hence possibility of operating wide-bodied aircraft at the existing airport location is ruled out.

Rajkot is the fourth largest city in the state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara. The city is the centre of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat and the 35thlargest urban agglomeration in India with a population more than 1.2 million as of 2015. It is also the 22nd fastest growing city in the world.

Considering the constraints and compulsions with respect to the existing airport, the State Government desires to develop a new Greenfield Airport in Rajkot. Government of Gujarat has identified required land for the new airport and requested Airports Authority of India to develop, operate and maintain the new airport

Courtesy – Press Information Bureau, Government of India​​​​