Surat: There is a demand to change the name of Surat Airport, to “Shri Narendra Modi International Airport Surat.” The Surat Airport Action Committee has written a letter to the Prime Minister’s office outlining six points in support of this request.

The Surat Airport Action Committee had earlier demanded this in 2018, stating, “The people of Surat are thankful to you and your aviation team for increasing the air connectivity from Surat Airport, which was limited to only two movements before 2015 but rose to 33 movements per day from August 16, 2018, after the government’s efforts to enhance air connectivity at Surat Airport. You have given us the great gift of Surat Airport being included in the UDAN scheme.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Surat to launch the Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB). During this visit, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the new building of Surat International Airport. Given that PM Modi hails from Gujarat, there is a growing demand to rename the airport. The commencement of international flights is also set to rise with the inauguration of the new terminal at Surat Airport. The first announced international route is the Air India Express flight to Dubai, scheduled to start operating on December 17, flying four days a week.

Following the Dubai flight announcement, both IndiGo and Air India have declared plans to start flights from Surat to Hong Kong. This development is expected to alleviate the travel challenges faced by Surat’s international passengers, who previously had to go to other airports for connectivity to the US or UK. DeshGujarat