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Srinagar Airport

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Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport or Srinagar Airport (IATA: SXR, ICAO: VISR), also known as Budgam Airbase is an international airport serving Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is owned by the Indian Air Force with the Airports Authority of India operating a civil enclave at the airport and was designated as an international airport in 2005. The airport is located in Budgam, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Srinagar. It has an integrated domestic and international terminal with one asphalt runway.

Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/public
OwnerIndian Air Force
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesSrinagar
LocationBudgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Elevation AMSL1,655 m / 5,429 ft
Coordinates33°59′13.7″N 074°46′27.3″E / 33.987139°N 74.774250°E / 33.987139; 74.774250
WebsiteSrinagar Airport
Map
SXR is located in Jammu and Kashmir
SXR
SXR
SXR is located in India
SXR
SXR
SXR (India)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 3,685 12,090 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2023 – March 2024)
Passengers4,205,541 (Decrease 4.6%)
Aircraft movements25,801 (Decrease 13.9%)
Cargo tonnage9,126 (Decrease 0.8%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

History

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Srinagar airfield was established by the Indian Air Force. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the airport received an airlift of Indian army troops to prevent Pakistan army from capturing Srinagar. Although the airport was small and lacked landing aids, the airlift was still carried out successfully on 27 October 1947.[4] In September 1965, the Srinagar Airport was subjected to an air raid amid the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, which left some aircraft damaged.[5][6]

In 1979, the Airports Authority of India established a civil enclave at the airport.[7] The terminal was modified in February 1998 to be able to handle international Hajj flights which started operating from January 2002.[8][9] During the Kargil War in 1999, the airport was taken over completely by the Air Force and civilian flights were stopped.[10]

In March 2005, the airport was granted international status by the Indian government. In 2006, the airport was renamed Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport after the Sheikh-ul-Alam, a Kashmiri Sufi saint.[11][12] In 2020, BJP demanded the airport to be renamed as Major Somnath Sharma International Airport after Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, Param Vir Chakra.[13]

Infrastructure

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Terminal

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The airport has an integrated terminal, handling both domestic and international flights. It covers 19,700 m2 (212,000 sq ft) and can serve 950 passengers at a time.[7]

 
A view from the apron showing the terminal and aero-bridges

The terminal is designed on the Himalayan theme and has a sloping roof to facilitate easier removal of snow.[14] The terminal was constructed as a part of a larger expansion project at a cost of ₹1.3 billion (US$15 million), initiated by the Government of India and was inaugurated on 14 February 2009.[7][15] There are nine parking bays with five connected by aerobridges with the terminal.[16][7] In 2019, the authorities planned to construct a new airport terminal handling only international flights with domestic flights operating from the older terminal.[17] In September 2021, the Aviation Minister announced that the existing terminal will be expanded from the present 25,000 m2 (270,000 sq ft) to 63,000 m2 (680,000 sq ft) at a cost of ₹1,500 crore (US$180 million).[18] Other amenities include a food court, food outlets, handicraft shops, ATMs, currency exchanges and WiFi.[19][16]

Runway

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There is a single asphalt runway, 13/31, with dimensions 3,685 by 46 metres (12,090 ft × 151 ft).[20] It has been equipped with an instrument landing system since February 2011.[14] In August 2018, a test flight was conducted for night landing by Directorate General of Civil Aviation.[21][22] On 19 March 2021, commercial night flying operations at the airport started.[23]

Airlines and destinations

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In February 2009, Air India Express started weekly flights to Dubai, the first regularly scheduled international flight from Srinagar.[7][9] However, due to low demand from passengers, the flights were terminated in January 2010.[24]

 
Aircraft parked at Srinagar Airport
 
A Jet Airways flight at Srinagar airport
AirlinesDestinations
Air India Bengaluru,[25] Delhi, Jammu, Leh[26]
Air India Express Delhi, Hyderabad,[27] Mumbai[28]
Akasa Air Ahmedabad,[29] Mumbai[30]
IndiGo Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hyderabad,[31] Kolkata,[32] Mumbai[33]
SpiceJet Delhi, Jammu, Mumbai

Access

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The airport is located about 12 km (7.5 mi) from the city of Srinagar.[34] There is a car park with 250 spaces.[7] The government provides a paid bus service between the airport and the tourist reception center near Lal Chowk, while the Airports Authority of India operates a free bus service between the terminal and the airport entrance gate one km (0.62 mi) away.[35] The airport is also served by taxis and car rental agencies, which have their booths outside the terminal.[16]

Notable accidents and incidents

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On 7 September 1965, amid the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, four fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force attacked the Srinagar airport. An Indian Air Force Douglas C-47 Skytrain and an Indian Airlines Douglas DC-3 were destroyed during the air raid.[5][36] A Chicago Tribune article published the following day reported that one Indian aircraft and a Caribou transport of the United Nations observers headquarters were damaged.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  4. ^ Ray, Jayanta (2011). India's Foreign Relations, 1947–2007. New Delhi: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-59742-5.
  5. ^ a b "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47 (DC-3) registration unknown Srinagar Airport (SXR)". Aviation Safety Network. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Indian Army opens 2d front: Troops in drive for Hyderabad and Karachi". Chicago Tribune. 8 September 1965. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "New integrated terminal building at Srinagar International Airport to be inaugurated today". Oneindia. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  8. ^ "International status for Srinagar airport". The Tribune. Chandigarh. 27 January 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Sonia flags-off Srinagar-Dubai flight". Oneindia. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  10. ^ "World: South Asia India launches Kashmir air attack". BBC News. 26 May 1999. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  11. ^ "International flights from Srinagar Airport: Were Governments really interested". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Srinagar Airport to be renamed Sheikh-ul-Alam airport". Kashmir Observer. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Rename Srinagar Airport After Major Somnath: BJP". Kashmir Observer. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  14. ^ a b Bhujang, Vaibhav (May 2014). "Kashmir: Paradise on Earth" (PDF). Today's Traveller. New Delhi: Gill India Group. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  15. ^ Ahmad, Mukhtar (14 February 2009). "Sonia Gandhi inaugurates Srinagar international airport". Rediff.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  16. ^ a b c "Srinagar: Passenger information". Airports Authority of India. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  17. ^ "Passenger traffic up at Srinagar airport". media4growth.com. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  18. ^ "Amit Shah to inaugurate Srinagar-Sharjah international flight today". Hindustan Times. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Srinagar airport gets KFC, Pizza Hut". Rising Kashmir. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  20. ^ "Srinagar -- VISR". DAFIF. October 2006. Archived from the original on 20 November 2004. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Test today to clear way for night landing at Srinagar airport". Indian Express. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Srinagar airport set to begin night flights next week". The Economic Times. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  23. ^ "Explained: How night flights have been enabled at Srinagar airport". The Indian Express. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  24. ^ Aslam, Faheem (19 May 2010). "Dubai flight grounded, permanently". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  25. ^ "Air India schedule". Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Air India and Alliance Air schedule list". Air India.
  27. ^ "Air India Express to commence Hyderabad-Srinagar service in Oct-2024". CAPA. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Air India Express to start Mumbai to Srinagar flights from February 22". AviationAll. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Akasa Air NW24 Ahmedabad Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Akasa Air to start Mumbai to Srinagar flights from March 1". AviationAll. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  31. ^ "IndiGo to resume Hyderabad-Srinagar flights". JetArena. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  32. ^ "IndiGo announces 6 new domestic routes; check list here". Business Today. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  33. ^ "New flights". IndiGo. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  34. ^ "Srinagar: General information". Airports Authority of India. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  35. ^ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (PDF). Airports Authority of India (Report). Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  36. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3 registration unknown Srinagar Airport (SXR)". Aviation Safety Network. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
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