A delegation from the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) met with Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjirapu Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi to present detailed issues related to air connectivity and infrastructure development at Surat International Airport. The delegation was led by SGCCI President-designate Ashok Jirawala.
This significant meeting was held at the residence of Union Minister of Jal Shakti and Navsari MP C.R. Patil, who facilitated and coordinated the meeting. The discussion focused on the development of the airport, considering the rapidly growing industrial and commercial needs of South Gujarat. SGCCI emphasized the demand to make Surat a 'Point of Call', stating that Surat is an emerging economic center in the country with a global impact in the diamond, textile, engineering, chemicals, and MSME sectors.
Despite being declared an international airport, there remains a lack of international flights and modern facilities. The delegation requested the inclusion of Surat as a 'Point of Call' under the Air Service Agreement (ASA) to allow international airlines to operate flights directly from Surat. They also urged the resumption of previously operated international flights to Dubai, Sharjah, and Bangkok, highlighting the significant demand from business travelers, NRIs, and Gujarati expatriates on these routes.
The meeting proposed increasing the number of daily flights between Surat and Mumbai and starting additional frequencies in the Delhi sector. Furthermore, there was a demand for a direct flight from Surat to Bhubaneswar to facilitate workers and industries between Odisha and Gujarat. The chamber also pointed out the need for air connectivity to major cities like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Ranchi, Patna, Varanasi, Kochi, Coimbatore, Indore, and Lucknow.
A request was made to approve additional UDAN routes to enhance regional connectivity. The delegation called for allowing simultaneous operations of domestic and international flights at Surat Airport. They proposed developing a full international cargo terminal with customs clearance facilities to reduce exporters' dependence on Mumbai.
There was also a demand for the installation of a CAT-I landing system and advanced approach lighting system to prevent flight delays in bad weather. Additionally, suggestions were made to start duty-free shops at the airport and modernize the airport under a PPP model. The chamber reported that a modern terminal of 25,520 square meters has been developed at Surat Airport in 2023, with an annual capacity of 5.5 million passengers.
Facilities such as 24x7 operations and night parking are also available at the airport. The meeting discussed the vision to develop the capacity to handle 22.5 million passengers annually under the Airport Master Plan-2047, along with a suggestion to allow electric vehicles in airside operations.
The Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjirapu Ram Mohan Naidu listened seriously to all the issues raised by the delegation and assured necessary action while considering them positively. Members of the Airport Advisory Committee, including Paresh Patel, Suresh Agarwal, Keyur Khaini, Keval Shah, Pramod Chaudhary, Vinod Agarwal, Kunjvihari Sultania, Subhash Patodia, J.P. Agarwal, Jeetubhai Vakharia, Anand Desai, Nagjibhai Sakaria, Bhuvalal Shah, Kailash Hakim, Vishal Budhia, and Bharat Sukhadia, along with several industrialists and representatives of business organizations from South Gujarat, were present at the meeting.
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