Surat airport runway to be extended and re-carpeted

SURAT: The much-awaited extension of airport runway has gathered steam with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) issuing a tender notice on March 21. AAI has invited tender applications for upgrading the runway at Surat airport from the existing 2,250 metre to 2,905 metre.
The extension would allow safe operation of wide bodied twin engine aircraft like Airbus and attract more airline companies to start operations from the airport.Sources said the AAI would be spending Rs 66 crore on 655-metre extension and re-carpeting.
Surat was the only city in the world till 2007 with a population of over 4.6 million people and without a functioning airport. Commercial services started from Surat on May 6, 2007 with an Indian Airline Airbus 319 flight. Indian Airlines began its operations with an ATR aircraft. It recently increased the frequency between Surat and Delhi from three days to six days a week, but that too in a smaller CRJ aircraft.
The SpiceJet, which was operating from Surat to important destinations like Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi terminated its services when one of its planes suffered a buffalo hit on November 6, 2014.
Airport director Pramod Thakre said, "The extension of the runway would allow landing of aircraft bigger than Boeing 737 in the city."
E H Pathan, a member of We Want Working Airport at Surat, said, "It is good news for fliers in the city. Now, the airline companies would be able to increase their frequencies from the airport. We may see a fleet of airline companies setting up their base in the near future."