AAI forced to delete its tweet granting international status to Surat airport

Surat (Gujarat) : Even the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is unsure whether the Surat airport is customs-notified or international. The statutory body, which is owned by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, was forced to delete a tweet from its official Twitter account that mentioned Surat as the international airport.

On November 28, AAI tweeted a picture of the new terminal building getting ready at the Surat airport. In the picture, Surat was mentioned as an international airport in the backdrop of the façade design of the new integrated terminal building. AAI also mentioned that the façade form is inspired by the traditional woodwork of Surat, especially from traditional bungalows of the Rander region of the city and it will enrich the passenger experience with the rich traditional woodwork of Saurashtra.

AAI manages a total of 137 airports which include 24 International airports (3 Civil Enclaves), 10 Customs Airports (4 Civil Enclaves), and 103 Domestic airports (23 Civil Enclaves). Surat airport is among the 10 customs airports in the country.

An aware citizen applied under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and sought a reply from the AAI authority on the change of status of Surat airport from customs notified to an international airport. The RTI activist also asked for the documents including the bilateral agreement for the addition of Surat airport as a point of call for countries and their airports.

AAI’s tweet on November 28 called for celebration among the people of Surat, especially those connected with the working airport movement for the last many years. The picture posted by AAI on its official Twitter handle was widely circulated on the social media platforms in Surat.