Veer Savarkar International Airport, commonly known as
Port Blair Airport , is an
airport located south of
Port Blair and is the main airport of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands of
India. It is named after the Indian freedom fighter
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Overview
The airport has a single
runway of in length, accommodating most
wide-body aircraft, although the most recent reports indicate no airliners larger than
Airbus 320 types regularly serve Vir Savakar airport. An ILS (precision
instrument landing system) is available for low visibility operations, but pilots are responsible to check with local authorities to verify the system is operational, prior to flight. There is a road that crosses the runway; traffic must be stopped for aircraft to take off, similar to the
Gibraltar Airport.
With such a small
terminal and the isolation of the islands, flights that serve the airport are few and expensive.
Restricted Area Permits for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are available on entry.
There is only one terminal with 2 gates and no
aero bridges. Buses are used to provide transportation from the terminal to the flights in the apron. As of April 2009, construction work to add a second airplane parking bay is in progress.
Heavy rain flooded the airport during May 2008 and halted traffic.
Airlines and destinations
References