Dholera International Airport at a Glance

Gujarat shall soon have two international airports; the first being in Ahmedabad and the second one being Dholera international airport which is in the making.

Ahmedabad airport shall soon reach its peak with the increasing number of passengers availing the facility. As per projections, the airport shall reach its saturation point by 2020. Due to the constraints faced in extending the facility further, the pressing need for another international airport close by was felt. This led to the emergence of Dholera international airport which is expected to be ready for use by 2020.

Dholera international airport was also approved in order to develop Dholeraas a self-sustainable city. Massive growth projections has been made for the smart citywhichis being planned six times the size of Shanghai. It is being anticipated that Dholera shall become a leading global trading and manufacturing hub and shall witness a continual rise in economic activities. In order to support the regions? progress, it was imperative for it to have an airport nearby.

Dholera international airport is strategically located to meet the travel needs of both Dholera and Ahmedabad passengers. Located 20 Kms from Dholera and 80 Kms from Ahmedabad, the facility is also expected to carry passengers to and fro form neighboring towns and villages. 1,700 hectares of land has been reserved for the facility in the name of Gujarat Industrial Corridor Company Ltd (GICC) in the villages of Pipli, Paccham and Valinda for development of the project. The airport has been included in Early Bird project list of government which means that the project shall be fast tracked and completed without delays.

Dholera international airport shall be built extensively to accommodate 1,200 Indian and international passengers within the facility at one point of time. This ambitious project shall have two runways and is being built with state of art infrastructure and world class amenities. The project cost is estimated to be Rs. 1,378 crore, majority of which shall be pooled in by various sources in form of Public-Private Partnership and foreign investments. The project shall be developed by Dholera International Airport Company Ltd (DIACL) which is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) specifically formed to oversee the airport's progress.

While Dholera International Airport shall provide vital linkage to the world, other transit options are also available in the city. A high class urban transport mechanism is being developed in form of high speed metro rail which shall connect Dholera to all important points in the city and also to Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. 6 lane expressway is also in the making connecting the smart city to Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad. The city shall also be connected via rail and port.

Apart from other economic reasons, Dholera international airport shall be instrumental in attracting foreign investments in the city