Port Blair, March 15: Airports Authority of India has upgraded the category of Veer Savarkar International Airport from Grade III to Grade II airport vide corporate HRM circular number 7/2024 dated 6 March 2024.
The classification of various airports categories is done for the purpose of deciding the level of executive to head the airport and it has been decided based on the parameters such as passengers’ traffic, development activities, state capital, profitability and number of employees etc.
Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair which was grade III category airport and headed by joint general manager level executive after its upgradation to grade II category will be headed by General Manager level executive who will be having more powers to execute works as per the Delegation of Powers by Airport Authority of India.
This is a very positive move by management of Airports Authority of India towards strengthening the administrative framework of the airport for the decision making and execution of passenger’s facilitation centric works.
The New Integrated Terminal Building of Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair was inaugurated on 18th July, 2023 by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi via video conferencing. The commencement of the flight operations from New Integrated Terminal Building has started from 21th August 2023. With a total built up area of 40,837 sqm., the new terminal building is capable of handling 1200 passengers during the busiest operational hour.
The passenger volume from April to Feb this year is more than 13 lakhs and achieved a fairly good growth of 12.5% in comparison to the passenger volume of previous year.
The Instrument Landing System (ILS) at PortBlair Airport will also be operationalized from 18.04.2024. The validation of ILS procedures has been already completed on 22.02.2024 by Vistara flight UK 747 and sent for promulgation to Aeronautical Information Service.
The promulgation NOTAM (notice to airmen) for ILS has already been issued by Aeronautical Information Service vide respective Golf series on 05.03.2024.
The disseminated information under Golf series NOTAM depicts the details of the ILS on Runway 04 facility to be operationalize. The date of commencement of the facility is stated as 18.04.2024 with effect from 0000 GMT(0530 IST). Further it explains operational characteristics of the facility essential for users. Operationalization of ILS will be a game changer for civil aviation in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and a major enabler for monsoon tourism, flight operations in night and bad weather conditions. Year 2024 will be turning point for civil aviation in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.