Srinagar Airport

Srinagar International Airport
Entrance of the airport
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/public
OwnerIndian Air Force
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesSrinagar
LocationBudgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Opened1979; 47 years ago (1979)
Time zoneIST (UTC+05:30)
Elevation AMSL1,655 m / 5,429 ft
Coordinates33°59′13.7″N 074°46′27.3″E / 33.987139°N 74.774250°E / 33.987139; 74.774250
WebsiteSrinagar Airport
Map
SXR is located in Jammu and Kashmir
SXR
SXR
SXR is located in India
SXR
SXR
SXR (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 3,685 12,090 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2024 – March 2025)
Passengers4,472,449 (Increase 6.3%)
Aircraft movements28,494 (Increase 10.4%)
Cargo tonnage9,891 (Increase 8%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Srinagar International Airport (IATA: SXR, ICAO: VISR),[a] is an international airport serving Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located in Budgam, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Srinagar.[4] It is owned by the Indian Air Force, and the Airports Authority of India operates a civil enclave at the airport, which was opened in 1979. It was designated as an international airport in 2005. It has an integrated domestic and international terminal with one asphalt runway.

In 2015, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir proposed to officially rename the airport as Sheikh ul-Alam Airport after Nund Rishi, a Kashmiri Sufi saint, who was known by the title of Sheikh ul-Alam.[5] However, the name of the airport was not officially changed.[6]

History

Srinagar airfield was established by the Indian Air Force, and during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the airstrip was used for the airlift of Indian army troops deployed to prevent the capture of Srinagar by the Pakistan army. Although the airstrip was not well developed and lacked landing aids, it was used for airlift of troops successfully in October 1947.[7] During the 1950s to 1970s, the airfield evolved into one of the forward attack bases of the Indian Air Force.[8] On 7 September 1965, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the airport was attacked by the Pakistan Air Force, which damaged an Indian Air Force Douglas C-47 Skytrain and an Indian Airlines Douglas DC-3.[9][10] As per Chicago Tribune, one Indian aircraft and a de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou transport of the United Nations observers headquarters were damaged in the attack.[11] Later, the airport, which housed various fighter squadrons of the Indian Air Force, served as a launchpad for combat air patrols and counter-air missions during the Indo-Pakistani wars in 1965 and 1971.[8]

In 1979, the National Airports Authority of India established a civil enclave at the airport.[12] The terminal was upgraded in February 1998 to be able to handle international Hajj flights which started operating from January 2002.[13][14] During the Kargil War in 1999, civilian flights were stopped and the airport was taken over by the Indian Air Force.[15]

In March 2005, the airport was granted international status by the Indian government.[6] In 2015, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir proposed to rename the airport as Sheikh ul-Alam Airport after Nund Rishi, a Kashmiri Sufi saint, who was known by the title of Sheikh ul-Alam.[5][16] However, the name of the airport was not officially changed.[6] In 2020, the Bharatiya Janata Party proposed that the airport be named after Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, Param Vir Chakra.[17]

Infrastructure

Runway

The airport has a single asphalt runway, designated as 13/31, with dimensions of 3,685 m × 46 m (12,090 ft × 151 ft).[18] It is equipped with an instrument landing system since February 2011.[19] In August 2018, a test flight was conducted for night landing by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation,[20][21] and commercial night flying operations at the airport started on 19 March 2021.[22]

Terminal

Terminal as viewed from the apron

The airport has an integrated passenger terminal for handling domestic and international passengers. Spread over an area of 19,700 m2 (212,000 sq ft), it has a capacity to handle 950 passengers at a time.[12] The terminal is designed on the Himalayan theme and has a sloping roof to facilitate easier removal of snow.[19] The terminal was constructed at a cost of ₹1.3 billion (US$15 million) as a part of an expansion project in the mid 2000s and was inaugurated on 14 February 2009.[12][23] There are nine parking bays with five connected by jet bridges to the terminal.[24][12]

In 2019, the authorities announced plans to construct a new airport terminal to handle only international flights with domestic flights operating from the older terminal.[25] In September 2021, the aviation minister announced the expansion of the existing terminal to 63,000 m2 (680,000 sq ft) at a cost of ₹15 billion (US$180 million).[26] Other amenities include a food court, food outlets, handicraft shops, ATMs, and currency exchanges.[24][27]

Airlines and destinations

In February 2009, Air India Express started weekly flights to Dubai, the first regularly scheduled international flight from Srinagar.[12][14] However, due to low demand from passengers, the flights were terminated in January 2010.[28]

Aircraft parked at the airport
A Jet Airways flight at the airport
AirlinesDestinations
Air India Delhi,[29] Jammu,[30] Mumbai[31]
Air India Express Delhi,[32] Jammu[32]
Akasa Air Delhi,[33] Mumbai[34]
IndiGo Ahmedabad,[35] Amritsar,[35] Bengaluru,[36] Chandigarh,[36] Delhi,[35] Hyderabad,[36] Kolkata,[37] Mumbai[36]
SpiceJet Delhi,[38] Jammu[39]

Ground transport

The airport is located about 12 km (7.5 mi) from Srinagar.[40] The airport has a car park which can accommodate 250 vehicles.[12] The government provides a paid bus service between the airport and the tourist reception center near Lal Chowk, while the Airports Authority of India operates a free bus service between the terminal and the airport entrance gate located about a 1 km (0.62 mi) away.[41] The airport is also served by taxis and car rental agencies, which have their booths outside the terminal.[24]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Though the airport is officially known as Srinagar International Airport, and the proposed name change to Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport was not officially incorporated, the airport is also referred to by its proposed name of Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport.

References

  1. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Defence Minister celebrates Shaurya Diwas at Old Air Field Srinagar". Rising Kashmir. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Srinagar Airport to be renamed Sheikh-ul-Alam airport". Kashmir Observer. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Srinagar Airport 'International' only in name". Greater Kashmir. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2025. However,..nor was its rechristening undertaken.
  7. ^ Ray, Jayanta (2011). India's Foreign Relations, 1947–2007. New Delhi: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-59742-5.
  8. ^ a b Gupta, Anchit (6 September 2022). "Srinagar Air Base: A Chronicle of Aerial Combat". IAF History. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  9. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47 (DC-3) registration unknown Srinagar Airport (SXR)". Aviation Safety Network. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  10. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3 registration unknown Srinagar Airport (SXR)". Aviation Safety Network. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Indian Army opens 2d front: Troops in drive for Hyderabad and Karachi". Chicago Tribune. 8 September 1965. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "New integrated terminal building at Srinagar International Airport to be inaugurated today". Oneindia. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  13. ^ "International status for Srinagar airport". The Tribune. Chandigarh. 27 January 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Sonia flags-off Srinagar-Dubai flight". Oneindia. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  15. ^ "World: South Asia India launches Kashmir air attack". BBC News. 26 May 1999. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  16. ^ "International flights from Srinagar Airport: Were Governments really interested". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Rename Srinagar Airport After Major Somnath: BJP". Kashmir Observer. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  18. ^ "Srinagar -- VISR". DAFIF. October 2006. Archived from the original on 20 November 2004. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  19. ^ a b Bhujang, Vaibhav (May 2014). "Kashmir: Paradise on Earth" (PDF). Today's Traveller. New Delhi: Gill India Group. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  20. ^ "Test today to clear way for night landing at Srinagar airport". The Indian Express. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Srinagar airport set to begin night flights next week". The Economic Times. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  22. ^ "Explained: How night flights have been enabled at Srinagar airport". The Indian Express. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  23. ^ Ahmad, Mukhtar (14 February 2009). "Sonia Gandhi inaugurates Srinagar international airport". Rediff.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  24. ^ a b c "Srinagar: Passenger information". Airports Authority of India. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  25. ^ "Passenger traffic up at Srinagar airport". Media4growth. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Amit Shah to inaugurate Srinagar-Sharjah international flight today". The Hindustan Times. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  27. ^ "Srinagar airport gets KFC, Pizza Hut". Rising Kashmir. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  28. ^ Aslam, Faheem (19 May 2010). "Dubai flight grounded, permanently". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  29. ^ "Flights resume at Srinagar airport as India, Pak agree to ceasefire". Greater Kashmir. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  30. ^ "Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet to resume flight operations in Jammu, Srinagar, among other cities". Live Mint. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  31. ^ "Air India caps fares on flights from Srinagar to Mumbai and Delhi after Pahalgam terror attack". Live Mint. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  32. ^ a b "Air India Express flight to Jammu returns to Delhi without landing; alternative aircraft arranged". The New Indian Express. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  33. ^ "Akasa Air expands network ahead of winter schedule; Delhi becomes airline's third base". The Economic Times. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  34. ^ "Akasa Air announces Srinagar as 20th destination in its network". The Economic Times. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  35. ^ a b c "IndiGo Stabilising its Operations at Srinagar Airport". Kashmir Observer. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  36. ^ a b c d "Arrivals, Srinagar Airport". Flightradar. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  37. ^ "IndiGo announces 6 new domestic routes; check list here". Business Today. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  38. ^ "SpiceJet flight makes emergency landing at Srinagar airport after mid-air snag". India Today. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  39. ^ "Flight SG160". Flightradar. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  40. ^ "Srinagar: General information". Airports Authority of India. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  41. ^ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (PDF). Airports Authority of India (Report). Retrieved 24 November 2016.

Media related to Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_ul-Alam_International_Airport