AAI Plans 5-Lane Roads, Beautification to Ease Traffic at Surat Airport

Surat | Gujarat — Airport Authority of India (AAI) has taken important decisions to provide easy and fast movement of passengers at Surat International Airport. The AAI has decided to build a five-lane entry and five-lane exit road at Surat Airport so that passenger vehicles, Uber, Rapido and taxi vehicles can move easily at Surat International Airport and traffic problems do not arise at the parking booths. The Civil Works Department of Surat Airport has sent the related plan to the AAI headquarter  for approval.

Under another important decision, an airport beautification project will be undertaken at the entry of Surat Airport in collaboration with the Surat Forest Department. Under this project, social afforestation will be done and playing facilities will also be developed for the children of the tourists coming to the airport, so that the atmosphere at the airport becomes more beautiful and family-friendly. After all these decisions are implemented, the passengers at Surat Airport will get a more convenient, safe and better travel experience.

In another important work, a proposal to create a separate pedal straight exit way to go directly from the terminal building to the road outside the airport has been sent to the Airport Authority of India.

Currently, passengers coming out of the terminal building of Surat Airport are forced to use Uber, Rapido and private taxis. They are being robbed by the taxis with indiscriminate fare system. Because, if passengers want to go out of the airport on the road and get the facility of an auto rickshaw or other online passenger transport vehicle, there is no separate way to pull themselves out in the crowd of passengers and vehicles. Keeping this in mind, Surat Airport Director A.N. Sharma has sent a proposal to the Airport Authority of India to create a separate pedal street exit way to go directly out of the terminal building and onto the road outside the airport. So, people who do not want to go into the taxis from inside the airport will be able to walk out of the airport and catch an auto rickshaw or other vehicles from there.

Surat Airport Director Anand Kumar Sharma said that Surat Airport is ready for 24/7 air operations, but the air side is operating only 20% of its total capacity. The parallel taxi track (PTT) built near the runway towards Vesu has been completed and is ready. After the DGCA gives approval to start the PTT soon, the Surat Airport will have the capacity to handle 5 times the aircraft movement per day. 

It is estimated that 150 flights can be handled daily. Currently, not even 50% of the integrated terminal building of Surat Airport is being used. Surat Airport has a total capacity to handle 35 lakh passengers per year. It is estimated that more than 17.60 lakh passengers will be received by the end of 2025.

Airport Director A.N. Sharma said that Surat airport is now fully equipped for 24-hour air operations. Airlines have also been informed to start new flights.While taking permission for flight slots, only care should be taken that the flight can be placed in the new slot half an hour ahead or behind the existing flight time.