Ahmedabad airport new terminal public launch delays again

Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport’s new international terminal no.2 will not be opened for public usage on 15th of August, as it was announce by central Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel on 4th of July in presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and three union ministers.

Minister Praful Patel had opened the new terminal on 4th of July, and had announced that the terminal would be in operation for the public on 15th of August. It was not known, why the minister choose to open the airport terminal more than a month before its scheduled operational date.

Just two days before its scheduled opening today during a visit to the new terminal, lots of activities, such as Airtel’s digital tv connection, color work on the walls, checking of elevators, setting up of partitions, starting of AC plant, etc were going on. However all the workers involved in these activities, said firmly in one voice that the works can’t be finished by 15th August.

When contacted, Shri Anuj Agrawal, Airport Director, told DeshGujarat that the airport will not be opened for the public on 15 August. He said in coming days, the airlines, customs, immigration etc. will install their systems and make them operational. They will continuously test the new system, and then by 1st of September, the new terminal will be opened for the public.

Earlier the implementation date of Users Development Fee(UDF) on the airport was declared 16 August, but now the date has been changed to 1 September. There will be Rs 415 UDF charge per ticket on each international flight passenger from 1 September. For domestic travelers using domestic terminal, the charge will be Rs 110 per ticket.

It should be mentioned that completion of Ahmedabad international airport new terminal is two and half years late than the scheduled time decided when the work started. It should also be noted that, like Commonwealth stadium, the Ahmedabad airport’s new terminal also has roof that leaks when there is heavy rain. Last Saturday lots of water logged inside the terminal due to this. However when asked about this today, Shri Anuj Agrawal said, the issue will be tackled, as it is repairable. All construction and running cost of the airport building will be bared by the travelers through UDF charges for 10 years.

Complete album of Ahmedabad airport’s new international terminal no.2