Gujarat's maiden greenfield airport welcomes its commercial flight

Around a month-and-a-half after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rajkot International Airport at Hirasar village, the airport receives its first commercial flight on September 10. 

The Rajkot Airport, meanwhile, stopped all commercial activities as of Friday night and is preparing to transfer its employees and equipment to the new airport.

The Rajkot Airport, which is on Jamnagar Road in the city, was closed by the Airports Authority of India for regularly scheduled commercial flights, although it will still be used for other types of aircraft, including VVIP flights.

“We are shifting our staff and equipment to the new airport from the Rajkot Airport and therefore, no flight was operated on Saturday,” said Diganta Borah, director of Rajkot International Airport, who was also the director of Rajkot Airport.

On July 27, the new, brand-new Rajkot International Airport was officially opened by the prime minister. The airport, which was built at Hirasar at a cost of Rs 1,405 crore, lies about 30 kilometres to the east of Rajkot.
The new airport and Rajkot city will be serviced by express buses that will be operated by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), the state's public transportation provider.