Kushinagar International Airport

Kushinagar International Airport[1][2] is an international airport in Kushinagar, Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is 52 kilometres (32 mi) east of Gorakhpur Airport,[3] 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Gorakhpur, 34 kilometres (21 mi) north of Deoria, 60 kilometres (37 mi) south west of Bettiah and 64 kilometres (40 mi) west of Gopalganj. In August 2021, the airport was licensed to operate as a customs notified airport, facilitating the movement of international passengers and Buddhist pilgrims.[4][5][6]

Kushinagar International Airport
Kushinagar International Airport in 2021
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMinistry of Civil Aviation
OperatorAirports Authority of India
LocationKushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
Opened20 October 2021 (2021-10-20)
Elevation AMSL266 ft / 81 m
Coordinates26°46′12″N 083°54′29″E
Map
KBK
Location of the airport in Uttar Pradesh
KBK
KBK (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 10,500 3,200 Asphalt

History

On 24th June 2020, Union Cabinet Committee chairman Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to recognize the Kushinagar International Airport as an International Airport.[7] It is India's 29th International Airport and the fourth of Uttar Pradesh including Noida International Airport. This airport is of strategic importance to India, as the border to Nepal is nearby. The airport lies near an important Buddhist pilgrimage site where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Parinirvana after his death. The state government has planned to develop the airport to cater to international tourists who visit the site.

The central government has approved a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of 20% (give or take).[8] The airport was built through a joint venture between the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).[9]

The project was initially intended to be developed on the PPP model at an estimated cost of ₹354 crores. The state government had selected IL&FS Infrastructure Development Company Limited as PPP project consultants.The design has been inspired by Ulta Chaata("Opposite Umbrella"). [10] [11] The project got an "In-Principle Approval" from the Ministry of Civil Aviation in September 2010.

The government had received 15 technical bids in 2013 from reputed infrastructure companies for the development of the airport.[12]

The state cabinet cleared the project and approved the financial bid document in January 2014.[4] Despite several attempts to reduce the cost and the size of the project, the government could not convince private players about its viability. In May 2015, the state government decided to take the support of Airport Authority of India to go ahead with the project.[9]

In June 2020, the airport was awarded international status to attract Buddhist pilgrims.[13][14] In February 2021, the airport received all necessary clearances from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to be recognized as the international airport, becoming the third international airport in Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow and Varanasi.[15]

On 20 October 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the airport during Abhidhamma Day celebrations at Kushinagar, stating that it would boost the aviation sector and help increase international tourism from buddhist pilgrims around the world. This airport is the 29th international airport on India. On that day, Sri Lanka’s Minister for Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa and hundred plus members of the Buddhist clergy landed at the inauguration of the airport as the first international flight landing.[16][17][18]

On 26th November 2021 at 02:18 PM the very first passenger flight of Spicejet,SG 2987 operated on Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft registered (VT-SUX),landed at Kushinagar International airport from Delhi becoming the very first scheduled flight to have landed at Kushinagar International airport.Though the flight's scheduled arrival time was 01:35 PM however,due to poor visibility the flight got delayed by 56 minutes.The First flight came in with 74 Passengers from Delhi.[19][20]

Runways

The airport has a single runway which is 3.2 km (10,000 ft) long and 45 m (148 ft) wide with number 11/29. The airport apron can accommodate 5 Boeing 737-900 aircraft at a time.[21]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
SpiceJet Delhi, Kolkata,Mumbai (Both begins 26 March 2022)[22]

Indigo is also in discussion with Airport Authority of India to commence flight service to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata with effect from February 2022.

References
  1. "Padrauna". Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  2. "Civil Aviation Promotion Policy of Uttar Pradesh 2017" (PDF). Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  3. "Kushinagar airport to be a boon for migrant labourers". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013.
  4. "Kushinagar airport takes global leap, puts Buddhist circuit on world map TNN". 25 June 2020.
  5. "Project Information Memorandum" (PDF). Government of Uttar Pradesh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  6. "Kushinagar Airport declared as Customs Notified Airport". 16 September 2021.
  7. "UP's Kushinagar, On Buddhist Circuit, To Get "International Airport"".
  8. "Kushinagar international airport to get ready for take-off". Business Standard. 7 January 2013.
  9. "Stuck for 7 years, govt decides to rope in AAI for Kushinagar airport". Indian Express. 10 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  10. "A Husband-Wife Duo Is Harvesting Rainwater & Solar Energy at the Same Time – Using an Umbrella".
  11. "This Inverted Canopy recycles water (& then generates solar energy too)".
  12. "15 bids infuse new life into Kushinagar airport project". Hindustan Times. 23 February 2013. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  13. "Cabinet approves declaration of Kushinagar airport in U.P. as international airport". The Hindu. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy. "India's Buddhist outreach: International Airport at Kushinagar for Buddhist pilgrims". The Economic Times. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  15. "Kushinagar Airport gets DGCAlicence for international flights | Allahabad News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  16. "Over 100 Sri Lankan clergy, Namal Rajapaksa to attend Kushinagar airport inauguration". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  17. "Sri Lanka sends inaugural flight to India's Kushinagar International Airport". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  18. "India's Kushinagar Airport declared open, Sri Lankan delegation marks first landing". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  19. Livemint (20 October 2021). "Kushinagar International Airport to be inaugurated today by PM Modi —10 points". mint. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  20. "Air India decision will boost aviation sector: PM on Kushinagar airport inauguration". The Indian Express. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  21. "UP gets its third international airport: Schedule of the first flight, other details". mint. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  22. "Kushinagar airport's flight connectivity from Delhi, Mumbai and other cities. Details here". www.livemint.com. Retrieved 20 October 2021.


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