Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the new integrated terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, through video conferencing. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was present at
the airport to be a part of the inauguration event.Built at a cost of Rs 710 crore, the spacious new integrated terminal building is spread across an area of around 40,800 square metres and has the capacity to accommodate over 50 lakh passengers annually. The new terminal will prove to be a major boost for the
tourism sector of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Speaking of architecture, the terminal has been built in a shell-shaped design with a sea and land view. According to a press release by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the “building of the terminal is equipped with 28 check-in counters, along with three passenger boarding bridges and four conveyor belts.”
Other facilities at the airport include an apron, which has a capacity for two Boeing 767-400 and two Airbus 321 aircraft. It was constructed at a cost of Rs 80 crore. To maintain temperature, the airport has been equipped with a double-insulated roofing system, LED lighting, and low-heat-gain glazing. Instead of artificial light bulbs, the airport will have complete natural lighting for 12 hours a day through skylights.
Also,
the airport will have a rainwater harvesting system connected to a water tank and an on-site sewage treatment plant with complete treated wastewater reuse landscaping. The new island airport will also have a 500 KW solar power plant. The airport has been named after freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, also known as Veer Savarkar.
Currently, the airport has a runway of 3,290 metres capable of easily handling narrow-body aircraft, including the Airbus A320, Airbus A321, and Boeing 737.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Jul 17, 2023 6:53 PM IST
