Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said around 80 per cent of the construction of Dholera International Airport has been completed, with the Centre aiming to operationalise the facility by September or October after completing construction and securing regulatory approvals.
The Minister reviewed the progress of the airport project along with Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Vipin Kumar and senior representatives of the Gujarat government and the Dholera International Airport consortium.
Describing the airport as a project of national importance, Naidu said it was the first airport in India to be integrated with a manufacturing hub, a greenfield smart city and a semiconductor cluster. "Dholera International Airport is not merely a regional asset for Ahmedabad or Gujarat, but a landmark project of immense strategic importance for the entire country.
Our primary objective is to complete this project as swiftly as possible and fast-track its inauguration. The unprecedented level of collaboration and active involvement of both the Central Government and the Government of Gujarat is making this a truly unique, standout project in India's aviation landscape," he said.
The Minister noted that approximately 80 per cent of the overall construction had been completed. Around 75 per cent of the passenger terminal building is finished, while the runway, taxiway, air traffic control tower and ancillary structures have been completed.
The airport will include a 25,000-square-metre passenger terminal capable of handling 20 lakh passengers annually and a dedicated 2,500-square-metre cargo terminal to support the industrial ecosystem developing in Dholera. "The airport formed part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for Dholera as a future manufacturing and industrial centre.
The project is being developed through a joint venture involving the Airports Authority of India, the Gujarat government and NICDIT under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade," he said. Highlighting connectivity, he said: "Dholera would function as a multi-modal transport hub linked to a six-lane National Highway and a high-speed rail corridor."
Referring to the recently approved Rs 20,667 crore rail project, he said the railway station would be built adjacent to the airport terminal, allowing passengers travelling from Ahmedabad to directly access the terminal from the high-speed train.
Naidu said the airport had been planned as an "Aerotropolis", designed to support manufacturing and industrial investment beyond conventional aviation operations. "Whenever global or domestic companies look to invest in futuristic technologies, whether in semiconductor manufacturing or green energy, their primary demand is proximity to an airport.
Dholera offers this exact competitive advantage," he said. He added that Tata's semiconductor facility and Airbus's defence partnerships would benefit from dedicated Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangars planned at the airport, which will support maintenance of India's indigenous C-295 military transport aircraft.
The Minister also announced that Embraer of Brazil and Adani Aviation Systems had finalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the final assembly line for India's first civilian "Make in India" aircraft at Dholera, with the first aircraft targeted to roll out in 2028.
Concluding the review, Naidu directed contractors to complete on-site work by September and said: "The Ministry of Civil Aviation would work with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to obtain the airport's operating licence within the next three months, allowing commercial operations to begin by September or October."