Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the new integrated terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport on July 18, 2023. The new terminal building is expected to increase the airport’s capacity to handle up to 50 lakh passengers annually. It will also have a number of new facilities, including a larger check-in area, more boarding gates, and a new food court.
The building is a shell-shaped structure, which signifies sea and island. It has double-insulated roofing to reduce heat. Skylights are also installed to provide natural sunlight. The airport building was built with a budget of 710 crore. This terminal will play a major role in the island’s connectivity. The airport is served by a number of domestic airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet. It also has a few international flights, mostly to Southeast Asia.
The airport is a civil enclave, sharing airside facilities with INS Utkrosh of the Indian Navy. It has a single runway and a single terminal building. The airport was originally known as Port Blair Airport, but it was renamed in 2002 after Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a freedom fighter who was imprisoned in the Cellular Jail in Port Blair for 11 years.
