Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport

Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport
Srinagar Airport
The terminal in 2011
Summary
Airport type Military/Public
Owner Indian Air Force
Operator Airports Authority of India
Serves Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Elevation AMSL 1,655 m / 5,429 ft
Coordinates 33°59′13.7″N 074°46′27.3″E / 33.987139°N 74.774250°E / 33.987139; 74.774250Coordinates: 33°59′13.7″N 074°46′27.3″E / 33.987139°N 74.774250°E / 33.987139; 74.774250
Map
SXR
SXR
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 3,685 12,090 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2017 – March 2018)
Passengers 2,440,467 (Increase16.1%)
Aircraft movements 17,918 (Increase15.3%)
Cargo tonnage 7,226 (Increase48.0%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport (IATA: SXR, ICAO: VISR) also known as Srinagar Airport is an international airport that serves Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is owned by the Indian Air Force, and the Airports Authority of India operates a civil enclave at the airport. Although, designated an international airport in 2005, the Srinagar airport does not receive scheduled international flights as of April 2018, but has seen Hajj flights. It has an integrated terminal and one asphalt runway. The airport has bus and taxi service to the city of Srinagar, which lies 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the north.

History

Originally, the Srinagar airport was used only by the Indian Air Force. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the airport received an airlift of Indian troops who prevented Pakistan from capturing the city of Srinagar. Although the airport was small and lacked landing aids, the airlift was still carried out successfully on 27 October.[4] In September 1965, the Srinagar airport was subjected to an air raid amid the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, which left some aircraft damaged.[5][6]

In 1979, the Airports Authority of India established a civil enclave at the airport.[7] The terminal was modified in February 1998 to be able to handle international Hajj flights,[8] which first started operating from Srinagar in January 2002.[9] During the Kargil War in 1999, the airport was taken over completely by the Air Force, and civilian flights were prohibited from landing.[10]

In March 2005, the airport was granted international status by the Indian government. In 2006 the airport was renamed Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport after the Kashmiri patron saint.[11] An expanded terminal, able to serve both domestic and international flights, was inaugurated on 14 February 2009 by politician Sonia Gandhi.[7] It was part of a larger expansion project that also included an increase in the number of parking stands from four to nine.[12] The total cost of the project was ₹130 crore (US$18 million), fully provided by the Indian government.[7] On the same day, Air India Express started once weekly flights to Dubai, the first regularly scheduled international flights from Srinagar.[7][9] However, due to low demand from passengers, the flights were terminated in January 2010.[13]On August 2018, it was said that Srinagar Airport will operate night flights. Currently they are working on it.

Infrastructure

The Srinagar airport has an integrated terminal, handling both domestic and international flights. It covers 19,700 square metres (212,000 sq ft) and can serve 950 passengers at a time: 500 domestic and 450 international passengers.[7] The terminal is designed to look like the Himalayas and has a sloping roof that facilitates snow removal.[14] Amenities include a restaurant, a handicrafts shop, ATMs, currency exchange, a chocolates shop, and 30 minutes of complimentary WiFi.[15]

There is a single asphalt runway, 13/31, with dimensions 3,685 by 46 metres (12,090 ft × 151 ft).[16] It has been equipped to handle instrument landing system approaches since February 2011.[14]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia India Delhi
Air India Delhi, Jammu, Leh
GoAir Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu, Mumbai, Patna
IndiGoAmritsar, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai
Jet AirwaysDelhi
SpiceJet Delhi, Jammu
Vistara Delhi, Jammu

Notable accidents and incidents

On 7 September 1965, amid the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, four fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force attacked the Srinagar airport. An Indian Air Force Douglas C-47 Skytrain and an Indian Airlines Douglas DC-3 were destroyed during the air raid.[5][17] A Chicago Tribune article published the following day reported that one Indian aircraft and a "Caribou transport of the United Nations observers headquarters" were damaged.[6]

Access

The airport is located about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the city of Srinagar.[18] There is a car park with 250 spaces.[7] The government provides a paid bus service between the airport and the Tourist Resource Centre near Lal Chowk, while the Airports Authority of India operates a free bus service between the terminal and the airport entrance gate 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) away.[19] The airport is also served by taxis and car rental agencies, which have their booths outside the terminal.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-III" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 1 May 2018. p. 4. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-II" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 1 May 2018. p. 4. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-IV" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 1 May 2018. p. 4. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  4. ↑ Ray, Jayanta (2011). India's Foreign Relations, 1947–2007. New Delhi: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-59742-5.
  5. 1 2 "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47 (DC-3) registration unknown Srinagar Airport (SXR)". Aviation Safety Network. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Indian Army opens 2d front: Troops in drive for Hyderabad and Karachi". Chicago Tribune. 8 September 1965. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "New integrated terminal building at Srinagar International Airport to be inaugurated today". Oneindia. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "International status for Srinagar airport". The Tribune. Chandigarh. 27 January 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Sonia flags-off Srinagar-Dubai flight". Oneindia. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "World: South Asia India launches Kashmir air attack". BBC News. 26 May 1999. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  11. ↑ "International flights from Srinagar Airport: Were Governments really interested?". Greater Kashmir.
  12. ↑ Ahmad, Mukhtar (14 February 2009). "Sonia Gandhi inaugurates Srinagar international airport". Rediff.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  13. ↑ Aslam, Faheem (19 May 2010). "Dubai flight grounded, permanently". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  14. 1 2 Bhujang, Vaibhav (May 2014). "Kashmir: Paradise on Earth" (PDF). Today's Traveller. New Delhi: Gill India Group. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Srinagar: Passenger information". Airports Authority of India. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "Srinagar -- VISR". DAFIF. October 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3 registration unknown Srinagar Airport (SXR)". Aviation Safety Network. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  18. ↑ "Srinagar: General information". Airports Authority of India. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  19. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 24 November 2016.

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