| Aurangabad Airport Chikkalthana Airport औरंगाबाद विमानतळ |
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|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: IXU – ICAO: VAAU
IXU
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||
| Location | Aurangabad, Maharashtra | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,911 ft / 582 m | ||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 09/27 | 7,713 | 2,351 | Concrete/Asphalt |
Aurangabad Airport (Marathi: औरंगाबाद विमानतळ) (also known as Chikkalthana Airport) (IATA: IXU, ICAO: VAAU) is a public airport located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.
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In the early 1990s, the Government of Maharashtra attempted to develop tourism in Aurangabad district (Ajanta, Ellora, Daulatabad and Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad city) but the project failed to take off.
Late in the decade the government awarded it to JBIC (Japan Bank for International Cooperation), which planned, financed and implemented the project. JBIC was to assist in several ways – monument conservation, airport expansion, upgrading roads to the monuments, improving water quality, expanding electrical service and implementing a visitor-management system.
Funds required for the first phase were Rs 81.71 crore, of which Rs 69.48 crore was allocated by JBIC. This phase concentrated on the basic infrastructure and necessary amenities in and around Aurangabad. The second phase (costing Rs 360 crore) received about Rs 300 crore from JBIC, with the remainder from the agencies involved.
As part of the overall development (and to facilitate tourist traffic) it was decided to upgrade the facilities at Aurangabad airport in phases, costing around Rs 130 crore. The first phase included extending and reinforcing the runway, a new taxiway, construction of a boundary wall and other improvements; this was completed in 2005.
The second phase included a new, integrated terminal building and technical complex to handle domestic and international air traffic. The cost was Rs. 99.67 crore, of which the JBIC contributed RS 0.60 crore and AAI (Airports Authority of India) contributed the remainder. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel laid the foundation of the second phase in January 2007, promising it would be completed within a year; the airport opened in November 2008.[1]
One of the most daunting problems faced by airport management at Aurangabad was that of parking space for the aircraft, since the old apron could only accommodate one wide-bodied aircraft; this hampered regular flights out of the airport and prevented its use by foreign chartered flights. In the second phase a new apron (measuring 500 by 400 ft) was built, accommodating up to four wide-bodied Airbus aircraft.[2] The old apron will continue to accommodate one Airbus and one ATR aircraft. Parking for five to six aircraft is now available, enabling chartered flights and increasing international tourist traffic.
The opening ceremony took place on 21 November 2008 before Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. The maiden flight was to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), carrying pilgrims for Hajj. National air carrier Air India launched its direct flight to Jeddah for Hajj, using an Airbus 310 with 200 hajis aboard from the newly constructed terminal in Aurangabad.[3] With this, Aurangabad became the 17th airport in the country from which Hajj flights depart.
The airport opened to regular traffic on 3 March 2009. A Jet Airways Mumbai-Aurangabad flight landed at 8:05 am, the first regularly scheduled flight to use Aurangabad Airport’s new terminal.
In addition to charter flights, seven planes daily serve Indian cities from Aurangabad Airport. It is used by 700 passengers daily, and the terminal has a capacity of 700.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air India | Delhi, Mumbai |
| Air India Regional | Delhi |
| Jet Airways | Delhi, Hyderabad , Mumbai, Pune |
| SpiceJet | Hyderabad |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Blue Dart Aviation | Delhi |
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