International Airport in India

In today's article, information has been given about International Airports in India. Many questions are asked in various competitive examinations about the airports in India. If you are also preparing for competitive examinations then you also must have seen questions related to airports of India in examinations. From the examination point of view, today's article is going to be very useful for you. 

In this article, apart from the international airports of India, important information has been given about the national or domestic airport, the largest and the smallest airport, the first airport in India, the state with the largest number of airports, and many more. 

First of all, let us know When did Air Transport start in India?

When did Air Transport Start in India?

• Air transport in India was started in 1911.
• In 1911, the world's first air postal service was transported between Allahabad to Naini.
• In 1933, the Indian National Airways Company was established, which operated air transport from Lahore to Karachi. 
• In 1935, Tata Airways provided air services to Mumbai-Thiruvananthapuram and in 1937 on the Mumbai-Delhi route by the same company.
• In 1953, all aeronautical companies were nationalized and placed under two newly created corporations.
• Airline Corporation of India and Air India merged in 2007. Now it is working as 'National Aviation of India Limited' which is also known as 'Air India'.

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What is an Airport?

An airport is a place where any air vehicle, such as aircraft (airplane), helicopter, etc, take off and land. Aircraft can also be kept here. An airport must have at least one flight strip, one helipad, and one terminal building. Apart from these, there can also be hangers.

What is an International Airport?

An international airport is an airport that manages a country's air service with other countries, enabling passengers from one country to travel to another country. International airports are larger than domestic airports. International airports often arrange domestic flights as well.

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Let us now start our today's topic International Airport in India -

International Airport in India -

Airports in India are managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), while the Ministry of Civil Aviation is responsible for building, maintaining, and managing its infrastructure in India.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) was formed on 1st April 1995. 

How many International Airports are there in India?

A total of 487 airports, airstrips, flight schools, and military bases are available in the country. The total number of international airports located in India is 35. The list of international airports located in India is as follows - 

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List of International Airports in India

National Airport in India 

The list of national airports in India is as follows -

• Jammu Airport, Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir)
• Srinagar Airport, Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir)
• Leh Airport, Leh (Jammu & Kashmir)
• Kullu-Manali Airport, Bhuntar, Kullu (Himachal Pradesh)
• Gaggal Airport, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)
• Shimla Airport, Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)
• Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (Uttaranchal)
• Pantnagar Airport, Pantnagar (Uttaranchal)
• Chandigarh Airport, Chandigarh (Punjab)
• Kanpur Airport, Kanpur, (Uttar Pradesh)
• Jaisalmer Airport, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan)
• Jodhpur Airport, Jodhpur (Rajasthan)
• Maharana Pratap Airport, Udaipur (Rajasthan)
• Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan Airport, Ajmer, (Rajasthan)
• Jamnagar Airport, Jamnagar (Gujarat)
• Bhavnagar Airport, Bhavnagar (Gujarat)
• Jaiprakash Narayan Airport, Patna (Bihar)
• Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
• Gwalior Airport, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh)
• Sonegaon Airport, Nagpur (Maharashtra)
• Pune Airport, Pune (Maharashtra)
• Biju Patnaik Airport, Bhubaneswar (Orissa)
• Coimbatore International Airport, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
• Calicut Airport, Calicut (Kerala)
• Teju Airport, Teju (Arunachal Pradesh)
• Imphal Airport, Imphal (Manipur)
• Jorhat Airport, Jorhat (Assam)
• Tezpur Airport, Tezpur (Assam)
• Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri (West Bengal)
• Veer Savarkar Airport, Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar)

The largest Airport in India

India's largest international airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport. It is located in the national capital of India, Delhi. It is the busiest airport in India in terms of passenger capacity. It opened in 1962. About 7 crore people visit this airport every year. And complete their journey from here. 

The largest Airport in India by area

The largest international airport in India in terms of area is the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad (Hyderabad), spread over an area of 5,495 acres. This international airport opened on 23 March 2008, is the city's primary commercial airport. 

The smallest Airport in India

Trichy airport is the smallest airport in India.

Which is the first Airport in India?

Allahabad Airport or Bamrauli Airport is located in Allahabad. This is the first airport in India. Allahabad airport was built in 1919. 

India's first civil aviation airport 

Juhu airport is India's first civilian airport, it is located in Mumbai, it was opened in 1928 under the name Vileparle Aviation Club, on 15 October 1932 India's first civilian flight left for Karachi, in this flight JRD Tata, who is considered to be the father of the aviation industry in India, took off on his own.

Which is the first airport in India developed under a public-private partnership PPP model?

Cochin International Airport, Kerala is the world's first 100% solar-powered international airport developed under the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model.

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Note: In October 2020, Puducherry airport became the first airport of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to be fully solar-powered.

Highest Airport in India 

Kushok Bakula Rimpochee, Ladakh is the highest commercial airport in India at 3256 meters and the 22nd highest commercial airport in the world.

Note: Daocheng Yading Airport is the highest airport in the world located in the Sichuan province of China.

Which state in India has the highest number of international airports?

Two states of India, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have the largest number of four international airports.

After getting permission for international flights to Kushinagar airport, the number of international airports in UP has increased to three.

Note: At present, there is no such state in India where there is no airline. 

How many International Airports are under construction in India?

Kushinagar International Airport: It is located in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. It is located 52 km east of Gorakhpur airport. It was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 20 October 2021. It is the third international airport in Uttar Pradesh. This airport is spread over 590 acres. It has a single runway of 3.2 km long and 46 meters wide. It is capable of handling large aircraft. The first international plane landed here on 20 October 2021 from Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

Noida/Jewar International Airport: There is an under-construction international airport near Jewar city in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Jewar airport on 25 November 2021. The airport is to be developed through a public-private partnership model (PPP). This international airport of Noida will be the fourth largest in the world and the largest in Asia. After its construction, there will be a total of five international airports in Uttar Pradesh.

International Airport in Ayodhya: There is a plan to start air service here from 2022. 

Some other Important facts

• From where India's first international air service was started - Between Karachi to Chennai
• When was Air India established in India - 1953
• When was Indian Airlines established in India - 1953
• Where is Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi - Fursatganj (Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, 1985)
• Where is the country's first private sector international airport - Kochi in Kolkata
• When was the International Airport Authority established - June 1972
• When was the National Airport Authority established - June 1986
• Which is the first international airport after independence - Trivandrum
• When Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited was established - On 15 October 1985
• In which state is the Rajiv Gandhi National Flying Institute - Maharashtra
• When was the third corporation named Vayudoot established for a domestic flight in the country - In 1981

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