Port Blair Airport IXZ

Port Blair Airport, originally named as Veer Savarkar International Airport, is a public airport serving port Blair. The airport is situated about 1.2 miles in the south of Port Blair. It is the main serving airport of the Andaman and Nicobar islands of India. The airport is named Veer Savakr, after the name of the great freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Port Blair Airport has served as a refuelling station during the days of world war. For a regular civilian air service, the Airways limited used it for the first time in 1957. It was followed by the Indian airlines in 1960.

Originally, the airport serves as the Indian Navy Guard Air Base with civil enclave. A rapid increase in passengers’ traffic at the airport was witnessed until 2008. In the year 2008-2009, the airport served about 480,000 passengers. However, it is now 40 percent less than previously, but it is still significant for the airport in the isolation of the Islands. Apart from the Boeing service, an inter island helicopter service also operates from this airport.

The single terminal airport generally connects to Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. The airport serves four airlines including Indian Airlines, Kingfisher airlines, Jetlite, and Airways. The airport caters about four daily flights to Chennai and Kolkata cities. Due to an increasing number of passengers, a project by the Indian Airport Authority has been approved for building a new terminal at an approximate cost of about Rs 4.5 billion.

Apart from domestic, the airport caters to many international flights too. The international airlines include Thai airlines, Singapore airlines, and Malaysia airlines. The airlines associated to the respective countries serve the airport on weekly as well as regular basis at different time schedules.

Transport

The airport is well connected to the city through local transport such as taxis, buses, and prepaid rental cars. The tourists may hire the care online through India Car Rentals and other car rental companies. Further information can be obtained from the tourist counter, a service provided by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration.

The tourists may find luxurious accommodation in close vicinity of the airport. They are situated about 2 to 6 kilometres away from the airport. The local as well as hotel bus service takes the tourists to and from the airport.

Other facilities

Port Blair airport offers several remarkable facilities. The airport has an X-ray baggage facility for screening the luggage. The domestic terminal has a shopping area that includes wood and seashell handicrafts shops. The arrival and departure area has a duty free shop as well.

The terminal possesses a bank with an ATM service and a post office. The airport also offers entertainment opportunities through the Snack Bar and a restaurant. The airport has a spacious and comfortable waiting lounge with childcare facility near the main terminal. The airport also offers wheelchairs and special tracks for the physically impaired passengers.