Recently, Mopa International Airport was inaugurated in Goa. This swanky, cool new airport in Goa is a greenfield airport. Including this new airport in Goa, India houses about 8 greenfield airports. The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has given preliminary approval to the construction of 21 new airports across the country. Do you know what greenfield airports are and which ones are currently operational in India? Let me help you with that.
What Is Greenfield Airport?
Greenfield projects are those that are initiated from scratch on undeveloped ground. They do not include the renovation or demolition of an existing building. There are no constraints from any previous work on the ground. The classification takes into account specific environmental characteristics as well as planning, commissioning, and construction processes from scratch.
India’s Operational Greenfield Airports
1. Cochin International Airport, Kochi, Kerala
This was India’s first private-public partnership airport of its kind. With a total operating area of roughly 225,000 square metres, the airport has three passenger terminals.
2. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka
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This airport was an alternative to reduce the congestion caused at HAL airport in Bengaluru. The airport is spread over 4000 acres and is the third-busiest airport in India.
3. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
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This greenfield airport was built to replace Hyderabad’s Begumpet airport. Spread across 5,500 acres, this airport is the largest in India by area.
4. Shirdi Airport, Shirdi, Maharashtra
First Flight from Tirupati lands at Shirdi Airport !! Two pilgrimage centres linked.
Embark on a journey to uncover India’s most loved devotional place.#ShirdiAirport pic.twitter.com/apxLlOkux1— Shirdi Airport (@ShirdiAirport) March 30, 2022
This airport is owned by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company and is spread across 400 hectares of land.
5. Pakyong Airport, Gangtok, Sikkim
Beauty of #PakyongAirport ❤️ pic.twitter.com/RCmdVhuZFA
— Pakyong Airport (@PakyongAirport) September 25, 2018
This is the first greenfield airport constructed in the northeastern part of India. It is also the 100th airport in India under the operational section.
Also Read: President Droupadi Murmu Dances With Local Dance Troupe In Sikkim’s Gangtok; Video Surfaces
6. Kannur International Airport, Kerala
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This greenfield airport in Kerala serves the north Malabar region of the state. The airport served over a million passengers in just 9 months of operation.
7. Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, Andal, West Bengal
This is a greenfield airport in West Bengal, named after the great Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The airport is spread across 650 acres and is expandable.
8. Mopa Airport, Goa
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Manohar International Airport, also known as Mopa International Airport, is the newest greenfield airport in India. It was built at a cost of 3000 crores.
Cover Image Courtesy: @pakyongairport/Twitter