easycharter’s Airport of the Month for October 2021 is Kushinagar International Airport (ICAO: VEKI)
Kushinagar International Airport (26° 46′ 12″ N, 83° 54′ 29″ E) opened just yesterday, on October 20, 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the airport during Abhidhamma Day celebrations at Kushinagar. The inaugural flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka, carried 125 dignitaries and Buddhist monks.
An opportunity to boost the economy…
Twelve years in the making, Modi believes the new airport would boost the Indian aviation sector and help boost international tourism from Buddhist pilgrims worldwide. With the inauguration of the flight, tourism inflow is expected to rise by close to twenty percent.
To facilitate the movement of international passengers and Buddhist pilgrims, the airport received a license to operate as a customs notified airport in August earlier this year.
The new airport will carry opportunities to boost the economic development of the region. In addition to creating employment for locals in different fields, the new airport will help promote local hotels, restaurants, and tourism agencies. The new airport will also help boost opportunities to export horticultural products like bananas, strawberries, and mushrooms.
Kushinagar International Airport: Overview…
The newly inaugurated airport is located in Kushinagar, Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, India. The new airport is one of three operational international airports in the state. Its designated field elevation is 81m above mean sea level.
The airport is located on 3’600 m2 of land. Its new terminal is capable of accommodating over 300 passengers during peak hours. It has only one asphalt runway, 11/29. The runway is 3’200 m long and 45 m wide. The airport’s apron is large enough to accommodate five Boeing 737-900 aircraft, simultaneously.
With ample infrastructure to initiate flight operations, SpiceJet Airlines will begin scheduled commercial flights from Kushinagar International Airport to Delhi starting November 26. SpiceJet airlines will also begin scheduled commercial flights from the airport to both Mumbai and Kolkata starting December 18.
Enjoy last month’s Airport of the Month here!