Travelling by airplanes has become as common as travelling by trains these days. Thanks to the cheap flight fares when it comes to travelling within the country, people mostly prefer to take flights than make an overnight journey via train. Just like domestic travel, international travel has also become quite a frequent airfare. In fact, the domestic air traffic has increased so much that you will often find some international terminuses being cleared in order for a domestic plane to land. Here are a few other quirky, interesting facts about the airports in India:
- There are 14 international airports in this country, and Kerala has 3 of them!
- 816ft is the shortest international runway length, which is found in the Trichy Airport.
- Jet Airways used to be an air taxi when launched in 1992, and today it is known as Jet Lite.
- The name Dum Dum Airport in Kolkata was changed to Subhash Chandra Bose Airport, to honour this great freedom fighter.
Airports in India are today in the midst of evolution. Each one of them, especially the ones in the major metropolitans and the most travelled ones, are constantly upgrading their airport beautification and facilities. Very recently the Subhash Chandra Bose Airport in Kolkata was modified and went through a process of beautification. Each and every state is now engaged in bestowing all the proper facilities that an airport should have, including a free Wi-Fi access. In the midst of all these up-gradations and beautifications, there are 6 airports in India, which stand out because of their beauty and utility.
Let’s take a further look at these top 6:
- Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai: When it comes to cargo traffic, this is the busiest airport in the country. It also happens to rank 35th as the busiest airports in the world. There are mainly two terminuses of this airport. The one which is used for domestic flights in the Terminal 1 also known as Santacruz, the other, which is meant for international as well as domestic flights, is Terminal 2 or Sahar. This airport is huge and is endowed with all the airport facilities that one can hope for. We can promise you that the Mumbai airport can easily outrun many airports outside India. Truly, the city of Bollywood’s airport too is all about glitz and glamour.
- Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi: Well, the airport of the capital is huge, and when we say huge, we mean really huge! It is almost like the maze at Jantar Mantar; you will really have to go on a treasure hunt in order to find the required terminal. Jokes apart, the Indira Gandhi International Airport is stunningly beautiful. This is the busiest airport in the country. You have people pouring in from both international and national flights. After all, it is the political hotbed of the country as well the base city for those, who are coming to visit India. This huge airport is spread over an area of 5,106 acres! Delhi’s airport has gone through a series of relocation and renaming and finally in the year 1986, it was named after India’s prime minister- Indira Gandhi. This airport boasts of a total of 3 runways, which run almost parallel to each other. All in all, the Delhi Airport is a really beautiful one. If you want to catch a flight and have arrived a couple of hours before your departure, you can easily wile away your time exploring this maze of an airport!
- Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh: There is no other airport in the country, which can offer you such a great view. Located in the laps of the foothills of the Himalayas, this airport offers a heavenly view of the snow-capped mountains. It is located almost 10,682 ft above sea level! If you wish to travel to Leh, this will be your airport. It is a commercial airport and that too one of the highest in the entire world! There are certain restrictions due to the terrain in which it is located. Flights land and take off only during the mornings and not in the afternoons or evening due to the winds that emerge from the mountains. All in all, this airport is a marvel which, if chance permits, you should not miss.
- Agatti Island Airport, Lakshadweep: Straight from the mountains to the seas, we come to Agatti Island Airport in Lakshadweep. On the west coast of this country lies the extremely beautiful and tranquil island of Agatti. It is quite a frequently travelled destination because of the stunning airport it has, which provides easy and efficient means of access to this place. The best part about this airport is the runway. The runway extends right into the ocean, supported by a strip of land when seen from the bird’s eye view. It is the only airport for this group of islands, and hence, is quite a busy one, mostly filled with tourists.
- Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair: Port Blair is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and this happens to be its most important airport of this union territory. In general, the airport is a beautiful one and do take note of the runway, surrounded by green, when the plane starts to descend.
- Dabolim Airport, Goa: There is a village called Dabolim in Goa. In this village is located the most important airport of this fun place- Dabolim Airport. It is quite a busy one and covers an area of about 688 hectares. It is located very near to the sea, and hence, when the plane begins to descend, it offers an excellent view! Goa is the place for fun and frolic and also of tranquillity and peace. There could have been no better welcome to such a place than the breathtaking view that you get while landing.
If you ever do plan to visit any of the cities and places mentioned above, do take notice of the airports. They are one of the most beautiful ones that this country has!a