Shirdi Airport

Shirdi Airport
Shirdi Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMaharashtra Airport Development Company
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesShirdi
LocationKakadi, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, India
Opened1 October 2017 (2017-10-01)[1]
Elevation AMSL1,909 ft / 582 m
Coordinates19°41′19″N 074°22′44″E / 19.68861°N 74.37889°E / 19.68861; 74.37889
Map
SAG
SAG
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 8,200 2,500 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2024 – March 2025)
Passengers741,540 ( 2.3%)
Aircraft movements6,793 ( 12.9%)
Cargo tonnage95 ( 60.8%)
Source: AAI[2][3][4]

Shirdi Airport (IATA: SAG, ICAO: VASD) is an international airport serving the town of Shirdi, Maharashtra, India. It is located at Kakadi, about 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of the town. The airport was developed by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company and was inaugurated on 1 October 2017. The Air Traffic Control and operations of the airport are under the purview of the Airports Authority of India. The airport has a single 2,500 m (8,200 ft)-long runway.

History

The Government of Maharashtra planned a greenfield airport at Shirdi, a town known for the temple of spiritual guru Sai Baba.[5] The nearest existing airports at Aurangabad and Pune were located 125 km (78 mi) and 186 km (116 mi) from Shirdi respectively. The airport was planned at Kakadi, about 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of the town.[5] It was developed at a cost of ₹3.4 billion (US$40 million) by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC).[6] The land acquisition for the airport was completed in December 2009,[7] and the airport was expected to be planned by December 2011.[6] The construction was delayed due to changes to the original plan, such as revising the runway length from 2,000 m (6,600 ft) to 3,200 m (10,500 ft), and floor plan for the terminal building.[8] A smaller terminal building compared to the original plan, and a revised runway length of 2,500 m (8,200 ft) was finalised to save costs.[9] The airport was planned to completed before the centenary celebrations of Sai Baba's samadhi in 2018.[10][11]

The MADC completed the construction work by February 2016 and sought approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for an aerodrome licence to commence operation of commercial flights.[12] The DGCA issued the licence on 21 September 2017, to operate aircraft based on Visual Flight Rules.[13] The first aircraft, an ATR-72, operated by Alliance Air, landed at Shirdi airport on 26 September 2017.[14] The airport was inaugurated for commercial operations on 1 October 2017 by the President of India.[5]

Infrastructure

The airport is spread over an area of 400 hectares (990 acres). It is equipped with a single 2,500 m (8,200 ft)-long runway capable of handling narrow body aircraft.[5][9] The passenger terminal covers 2,750 m2 (29,600 sq ft) and has a capacity to handle about 500 passengers daily.[15] In September 2019, a DVOR system was installed at the airport to enable aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. The state government also unveiled plans for the construction of a new terminal building.[16]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
IndiGo[17] Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad

Statistics

Passenger traffic at the airport has remained stable over the three-year period from 2022 to 2025, with annual volumes ranging between 0.73 to 0.75 million passengers.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Shirdi gets international airport". Deccan Herald. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "Shirdi gets international airport". Deccan Herald. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Shirdi airport to become operational by Dec 2011". The Times of India. 11 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Shirdi airport work in full swing: Official". The Times of India. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  8. ^ "Shirdi airport delayed due to runway modification". Daily News & Analysis. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Shirdi airport not to meet Nov deadline". The Indian Express. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Flights to Shirdi airport likely by October". The Indian Express. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Shirdi Airport to be completed in 3 years: Sahay". New Kerala. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  12. ^ "Maha govt seeks aerodrome licence for Shirdi airport". Business Standard. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  13. ^ "Letter to Airports Economic Regulatory Authority" (PDF). Maharashtra Airport Development Company. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  14. ^ "First test flight from Mumbai lands at Shirdi airport in 45 minutes". The Hindustan Times. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Shirdi, India to open to commercial traffic in early 4Q17". Ch-aviation. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  16. ^ "Shirdi airport takes step forward to bag 24x7 tag". The Times of India. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Winter Schedule 2025-26: IndiGo". Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  18. ^ "Passenger traffic at Maharashtra airport rises over three years". Business Line. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
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