Surat Business Leaders Push for Global Air Connectivity Boost

Surat | Gujarat — In a high-level meeting aimed at transforming Surat into a major aviation hub, a delegation of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) met Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in New Delhi to demand expanded international flights and major infrastructure upgrades at Surat International Airport.

The meeting was coordinated by Union Minister and Navsari MP C. R. Patil, who hosted the delegation at his residence. The SGCCI team was led by president-designate Ashok Jirawala.

Calling Surat India’s fastest-growing economic hub, the delegation highlighted the city’s dominance in diamonds, textiles, engineering, chemicals and MSMEs. Despite having an international airport tag, they said global connectivity remains limited.

Demand for International Flights Revival

The chamber strongly urged the government to restart direct flights from Surat to Dubai, Sharjah and Bangkok, citing massive demand from business travellers, NRIs and the Gujarati diaspora.

“We requested early resumption of international routes that were earlier operational. Surat has the traffic, the industry and the global demand,” Jirawala said.

The delegation also sought Surat’s designation as a Point of Call under bilateral Air Services Agreements to ensure long-term international connectivity.

Domestic Routes and Regional Connectivity

The SGCCI emphasised urgent expansion of domestic flight frequencies, particularly to Mumbai and Delhi, to support business and transit passengers.

The chamber proposed new direct routes to Bhubaneswar to support industrial workforce movement and sought connectivity to cities including Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Ranchi, Patna, Varanasi, Kochi, Coimbatore, Indore and Lucknow. Additional routes under the UDAN scheme were also requested.

“Improved aviation infrastructure will boost trade, exports, tourism and employment across South Gujarat,” Jirawala said.

Infrastructure Modernisation Plan

The delegation presented a detailed roadmap for airport upgrades, including:

Simultaneous domestic and international flight operations

Development of a full international cargo terminal with customs clearance

Installation of CAT-I landing system and advanced lighting to reduce weather delays

Opening duty-free shops

Exploring privatization or PPP-based modernization

They also proposed allowing electric vehicles for airside operations.

Vision for a Global Aviation Hub

The chamber highlighted the airport’s recent achievements, including a new 25,520 sq m terminal inaugurated in 2023 with a capacity of 55 lakh passengers annually and round-the-clock operations.

Under the Airport Master Plan-2047, Surat aims to handle 2.25 crore passengers per year.

Responding positively, Minister Naidu assured the delegation that their proposals would be carefully examined and appropriate action would be taken soon — raising hopes that Surat may soon take off as a major international aviation gateway for western India.