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Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport

Coordinates: 31°42′28″N 074°47′57″E / 31.70778°N 74.79917°E / 31.70778; 74.79917
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Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesAmritsar
LocationRaja Sansi, Amritsar, Punjab, India
Opened1930; 94 years ago (1930)
Focus city for
Operating base forIndiGo
Elevation AMSL230 m / 756 ft
Coordinates31°42′28″N 074°47′57″E / 31.70778°N 74.79917°E / 31.70778; 74.79917
Websitewww.aai.aero/en/airports/amritsar
Map
ATQ/VIAR is located in Punjab
ATQ/VIAR
ATQ/VIAR
Location of airport in Punjab
ATQ/VIAR is located in India
ATQ/VIAR
ATQ/VIAR
ATQ/VIAR (India)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
16/34 3,657 12,000 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2023 – March 2024)
Passengers3,085,598 (Increase 22.6%)
Aircraft movements21,648 (Increase 10.9%)
Cargo tonnage3,358 (Increase 50%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport (IATA: ATQ, ICAO: VIAR) is an international airport serving Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is located at Raja Sansi, 11 km (6.8 mi) northwest from the city centre. It is named after Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru and the founder of Amritsar. The airport is the largest and the busiest airport of Punjab. It is the second-largest airport in Northern India after Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.[4] The airport was the 3rd fastest-growing airport in India during the fiscal year 2017–18.[5] It is a hub of cargo movements, domestically and internationally.[6] The airport is ranked the 6th-best regional airport in India and Central Asia in 2019 and 2020 by Skytrax.[7] The airport is awarded as the best airport in Asia-Pacific in 2020 (2 to 5 million passengers per annum) by Airports Council International.[8] The airport also featured in the top 10 airports in India and South Asia with Best Airport Staff for the year 2024 by Skytrax.[9]

History

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In 1930, the airport was established during the British era, and was used for VVIP movements. After independence, it got connected with Delhi and Srinagar. The first international flight to Kabul was launched in 1960.[citation needed] In January 1982, Air India started a flight from Bombay to Birmingham that stopped in Delhi, Amritsar and Moscow. The service aboard Boeing 707s linked the large North Indian population in the West Midlands to its homeland.[10][11] The airline terminated it in October 1984 amid the Punjab insurgency.[12][13]

In May 2005, Air India commenced service to Toronto via Birmingham using Boeing 777s.[14][15] The stopover changed to London's Heathrow Airport three years later.[16] In October 2010, the carrier replaced the route with a direct flight from its Delhi hub to Toronto.[17][18] The following month, the airport's name was changed to Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.[citation needed] British Midland International (BMI) launched a flight to London-Heathrow via Almaty in October 2011. The company flew the route with an Airbus A330.[19][20] The link ceased in October 2012 as a consequence of the merger between BMI and British Airways.[17][21] In February 2018, Air India resumed nonstop service to Birmingham on Boeing 787s.[22][23]

Facilities

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Duty free shop at the airport

In July 2001, the construction of the first phase of the terminal building started, along with the extension of the existing runway, construction of a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and other works. The construction of all Phase-1 works was completed in June 2006. The arrivals section of the terminal building was inaugurated in September 2005, and the departures section was made operational in March 2006. Over the years, the old terminals (existing and Phase-1) were systematically razed, paving way for a new integrated terminal building (Phase-2). The terminal is made with built-in glass and steel and is equipped with an in-line X-ray baggage inspection and conveyor system, Flight Information Display System (FIDS), Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE), and CCTV surveillance, which were inaugurated on 25 February 2009, with an area of approximately 40,175 square metres (432,440 sq ft), marking an improvement over the earlier 12,770-square-metre (137,500 sq ft) facility. The integrated building is a blend of modern and Indian designs, constructed in glass and steel with Indian style arches and colours. In June 2016, the airport registered a 59.6% growth of international passenger traffic.[24]

The integrated terminal building has four jetbridges, an annual capacity of 2.5 million passengers with a peak hour capacity of 1,200 passengers. It has 30 check-in counters, 4 X-ray scanners (for baggage), 26 immigration counters, 10 custom counters, 12 security check booths, and 4 conveyor belts for arrivals. The apron has been extended to cater for parking of a total of 25 aircraft (8 Category 'E', 3 Category 'D' and 13 Category 'C' types of aircraft & 1 category 'E' for cargo) from the earlier capacity of 15 aircraft and strengthened for parking of Category 'C' type of aircraft. An additional apron has also been constructed in between the taxiway and the runway. The departure and arrival halls operate duty-free shops, foreign currency exchange service, restaurants and other shops for the convenience of departing passengers.[25] The airport registered India's highest passenger growth of over 48% for the year 2017–2018.[26]

Terminal

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Aerial view of the airport's terminal

The airport is spread over an area of 40,000 sq.m., with 30 check-in counters, 26 immigration counters, 12 custom counters, and two security check booths, and can handle 600 passengers at arrivals and 600 passengers at departures. It has the capacity to serve more than 2.5 million passengers per year. It has four jetbridges.

Runways

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The airport's runway is equipped with CAT III-B ILS, which makes the airport suitable for aircraft landing in poor weather conditions and visibility. It was installed in 2016–17, when the runway underwent a mass upgrade, at a cost of ₹ 150 crore, and in October 2017, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued low visibility procedures (LVP), thus allowing landing at within 50 m visual range.[27][28][29][30] Before the installation of CAT III ILS, CAT II ILS was installed in December 2011 and reduced the visibility requirement for an aircraft landing at the airport on Runway 34, from the existing 650 metres to 350 metres, thus benefiting airlines in increased safety and avoiding diversions to other airports, resulting in better operational and environmental efficiencies.

Airlines and destinations

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Apron area of the airport
Departures area of the airport
Arrivals area of the airport
AirlinesDestinations
Air India Birmingham, Delhi, London–Gatwick,[31] Mumbai[32]
Air India Express Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Bengaluru,[33][34] Dubai–International, Sharjah
AirAsia Kuala Lumpur–International[35]
Alliance Air Dehradun,[36] Delhi,[37] Kullu,[38] Shimla[39]
Batik Air Malaysia Kuala Lumpur–International
IndiGo Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad,[40] Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Sharjah, Srinagar
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International[41]
Neos Bergamo, Milan–Malpensa, Rome–Fiumicino1
Seasonal: Verona1[42]
Qatar Airways Doha
Scoot Singapore
SpiceJet Ahmedabad, Delhi, Dubai–International, Jaipur, Varanasi
Seasonal: Bergamo1,[43] Rome–Fiumicino1[43]
Thai Lion Air Bangkok–Don Mueang[44]
Note
  • ^1 : These flights make an intermediate stop in Tbilisi en route to the listed destination. However, the airlines do not have rights to carry passengers solely between the origin or destination and the intermediate stop.[43]

Statistics

[edit]
Annual passenger traffic at ATQ airport. See Wikidata query.

Future plans

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To meet the growing demands and future traffic, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed to expand the current integrated passenger terminal at a cost of ₹ 240 crore, which will increase the existing handling capacity of 2.5 million passengers per year to 5.5 million passengers per year.[citation needed] Along with this, an additional ₹ 60 crore were invested for the construction of another apron, taxiways and upgrading of the terminal, which are now completed.[citation needed]

The airport is also proposed to be leased out for privatization on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis, along with 5 other major airports operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).[citation needed] With privatization, the infrastructure at the airport is expected to rapidly improve further.[citation needed]

With the completion of the under-construction Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway, the travel time from Amritsar to Delhi Airport will be cut in half from the current over 8 hours to about 4 hours.[45] This may result in reduction in passenger growth on this route, but will give better road connectivity between the city and the National Capital.

Ground transport

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Road

[edit]

The airport is connected by the four-lane National Highway 354, which runs from Amritsar to Ajnala. Both Ola Cabs and Uber are available in the city. Auto rickshaws and local buses also connect the city to the airport. The under-construction Delhi—Amritsar—Katra Expressway will have the first branch from Delhi to the airport, and the second branch to Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, which will improve the connectivity further.[46]

Metrobus

[edit]

The airport was connected by Route 501 of Amritsar Metrobus, which connected it directly to Amritsar Junction, Golden Temple and many other locations in the network of Amritsar Metrobus. This route used to operate at a frequency of every 10–15 minutes but it is not functional these days.[47][48]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  4. ^ Airports Authority of India and Chaudharu Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow [@AAI_Official] (7 September 2020). "#AAI's Amritsar Airport @aaiasrairport, the third largest airport of Northern Region, was strategically set up to ease @DelhiAirport's operational load.#IconicAirportTerminals https://t.co/fZG66TAA3d" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ C, D. "Amritsar beats all international Airports in India with 83.5% growth in domestic traffic - Asian Independent". Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  6. ^ Airports Authority of India [@AAI_Official] (11 December 2020). "#AAI's Amritsar @aaiasrairport has been a hub of cargo movements, domestically and internationally. The airport continues to thrive in delivering essentials and other necessary items across the globe, smoothly. #DeliveringHappiness https://t.co/lpyjfSWpZG" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "The World's Best Regional Airports 2021".
  8. ^ "2020 - Best Airport by Size and Region". Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  9. ^ "The World's Best Airport Staff 2024".
  10. ^ "New passage to India". Birmingham Evening Mail. 4 January 1982. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Flying Elmdon-to-India, first stop Moscow". Sandwell Evening Mail. 2 January 1982. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  12. ^ Singh, Prabhjot (11 December 2000). "Rajasansi airport: Ramoowalia blames CM". The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Air-India flights to Toronto after 8 years". Xinhua News Agency. 9 May 2005. Gale A132246210.
  14. ^ Jolly, Asit (15 May 2005). "Air India launches Amritsar link". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 January 2006. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Air India wants to boost Brum route". The Birmingham Post. 21 April 2005. Gale A131832766.
  16. ^ "Air India moves Toronto, Amritsar flights via London". Press Trust of India. 23 September 2008. Gale A185462696.
  17. ^ a b Bagga, Neeraj (27 February 2016). "Airport's temporary cargo centre lies closed". The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Air India to launch direct flight between Toronto and Delhi". The Economic Times. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  19. ^ "British Midland International starts direct service between London and Amritsar". Business Standard. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  20. ^ "BMI launches Amritsar-London flight". United News of India. 14 October 2011. Gale A269788337.
  21. ^ "Bmi Announces Winter 2012 Schedule and Continued Integration with British Airways". Travel Business Review. 30 July 2012. Gale A298041786.
  22. ^ "Air India launches non-stop New Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham flight". Asian News International. 20 February 2018. Gale A528235111.
  23. ^ "Air India commences Birmingham-Amritsar direct service". Travel Business Review. 22 February 2018. Gale A528502778.
  24. ^ Khare, Harish (30 August 2016). "59.6% increase in passenger footfall at Amritsar airport". The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  25. ^ Press Release By PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=47938
  26. ^ "Amritsar airport tops country in terms of passenger growth". Hindustan Times. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  27. ^ "Amritsar Airport ushers in CAT II Instrument Landing System" (PDF). Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  28. ^ "Airports Authority of India". aai.aero. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  29. ^ "Amritsar airport set for night flights after runway revamp". The Tribune. Chandigarh. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  30. ^ "Low Visibility Procedures" (PDF). 9 December 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  31. ^ "Air India launches weekly flights to London's Gatwick, Heathrow Airport". The Economic Times. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  32. ^ "Air India to start daily flights between Amritsar and Mumbai with effect from May 20". JetArena. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  33. ^ "Air India Express Bangalore to Amristar Expansion". bhaskar. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  34. ^ "Air India Express launches new flights from Amritsar and Lucknow to Bangkok". Media Brief. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  35. ^ "AirAsia Adds Kuala Lumpur – Amritsar Service From Oct 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  36. ^ "Alliance Air commences services from Dehradun to Amritsar, Ayodhya, Pantnagar and Varanasi". CAPA. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Alliance Air to commence Delhi-Amritsar service in Mar-2023". CAPA. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  38. ^ "Alliance Air to commence Amritsar-Kullu service in Oct-2023". CAPA. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  39. ^ "Alliance Air to commence Amritsar-Shimla service in Nov-2023". CAPA. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  40. ^ "IndiGo to start new flight between Amritsar, Hyderabad from March 31". The Tribune. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  41. ^ "MALAYSIA AIRLINES ADDS AMRITSAR SERVICE FROM NOV 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  42. ^ Velani, Bhavya (30 July 2023). "Neos Air Announces New Flights between Amritsar and Verona – Exclusive". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  43. ^ a b c "SpiceJet starts one-stop flight to Italy from Amritsar". The Times of India. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  44. ^ "Thai Lion Air India network expansion".
  45. ^ "अमृतसर हवाईअड्डे का 300 करोड़ से विकास होगा".
  46. ^ "अमृतसर हवाईअड्डे का 300 करोड़ से विकास होगा". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  47. ^ "एयरपोर्ट से घी मंडी तक भी जाएगी बीआरटीएस बस, 15 रुपये होगा किराया".
  48. ^ "Amritsar Metro Bus Services".
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