Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Gujarat's first greenfield airport, which is situated in the village of Hirasar and is close to Rajkot. The PM unveiled a number of other important projects while on a two-day visit to Gujarat. He dedicated the Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana's packages 8 and 9. These packages will supply water to 52,398 acres of irrigable land in 95 villages and give potable water to almost 98,000 people in the Saurashtra region.
As part of the PM Gati Shakti Project, the Rajkot International Airport has been meticulously developed, with a total investment of £140.5 million. It is strategically located around 30 km from Rajkot, near NH-27, in Hirasar village, covering a vast area of 2,534 acres. The Airport Authority of India has been instrumental in constructing the airport across 1,500 acres.
The airport has a well-designed 3,040 m (3.04 km) long and 45 m broad runway that can hold up to 14 planes at once. Its apron is 50,800 square meters in size, and the passenger terminal is 23,000 square meters large, with a remarkable capacity to handle 1,280 passengers per hour at peak hours.
As part of the Greenfield Airport policy, 11 airports have been successfully made operational. The government has provided ‘In-Principle’ approval for the development of 21 more Greenfield Airports across the country. Construction work for the remaining 10 airports is currently in progress and is expected to be completed in due course.
The development of Greenfield airports encompasses a comprehensive process that includes meticulous planning, designing, and construction of all essential airport facilities. These facilities comprise runways, terminals, air traffic control towers, cargo handling infrastructure, parking areas, and other essential amenities.