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Construction of Dholera International Airport in Gujarat is around 80% complete, with the facility expected to become operational by October this year, according to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. During a review of the project, the minister said the runway, taxiway, Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and ancillary infrastructure have been fully completed, while work on the passenger terminal has reached 75%. The airport, being developed as part of the Dholera Special Investment Region, will feature a 25,000 sq m passenger terminal capable of handling 2 million passengers annually and a dedicated cargo terminal. The project is integrated with planned industrial, semiconductor and transport infrastructure, including a high-speed rail corridor, and is intended to support manufacturing, logistics, aerospace and aviation-related investments in the region.
Construction of the upcoming Dholera International Airport near Ahmedabad has reached around 80% completion, with the facility expected to become operational by September or October this year, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday following a review of the project.
The minister inspected the progress of the airport along with Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, senior officials from the Gujarat government and representatives of the airport consortium. According to an official statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Naidu reviewed construction activities and assessed the readiness of key infrastructure components.
Addressing reporters after the review, the minister said approximately 80% of the overall project has been completed. He added that work on the 25,000 sq m passenger terminal has reached about 75%, while the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, runway, taxiway and ancillary infrastructure have achieved full completion.
The passenger terminal is being designed to handle approximately 20 lakh passengers annually. In addition, the airport will include a dedicated 2,500 sq m cargo terminal intended to support the industrial and manufacturing ecosystem being developed in the Dholera region.
Naidu described the airport as a strategically important national infrastructure project rather than one intended solely for Gujarat. He said the development is the first airport project in India to be planned alongside an integrated manufacturing hub, a greenfield smart city and a semiconductor cluster.
The airport forms part of the broader Dholera Special Investment Region and is expected to serve industries including electronics, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and aerospace.
To implement the project, a joint venture has been established between the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Gujarat government and the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
The minister said the airport is also being developed as a multi-modal transport hub. It will be connected to a six-lane national highway and a high-speed rail corridor, for which the Union Cabinet recently approved an investment of INR 20,667 crore. According to Naidu, the railway station will be located adjacent to the airport terminal, enabling direct transfers between rail and air transport.
He added that the airport has been planned as an aerotropolis, where aviation infrastructure supports industrial and commercial development. The minister said upcoming investments, including Tata Group's semiconductor manufacturing facility and Airbus' defence-related partnerships, are expected to benefit from specialised Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities being developed at the airport. These hangars will support maintenance operations for the C-295 military transport aircraft.
Naidu also announced that Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer and Adani Aviation Systems have finalised an agreement to establish the final assembly line for India's first civilian "Make in India" aircraft at Dholera, with the first aircraft targeted for rollout by 2028.
The minister directed contractors to complete all remaining on-site construction work by September and said the Civil Aviation Ministry would coordinate with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to secure the necessary operational approvals, enabling the airport to commence services by September or October this year.
Source - PTI
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