Which is the smallest airport in India?
The article focuses on the Ganapatipule Airport and describes the challenges that it faces as the shortest runway in India.
Slightly hidden from the rest of the world, nestled between the Konkan coastline, the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra is India's smallest airport Ganapatipule Airport. Contrary to most airport runways that are usually very long this one is just 1,620 feet which shows that size does not matter when it comes to achievements.
History and Background
The Ganapatipule Airport was inaugurated in 2017 to improve tourism and access to the beautiful coastal village of Ganapatipule which is famous for its stunning vistas and the Swayambhu Mukh dash Ganapati Temple. Because of the absence of flat ground in the vicinity, the airport was built on a plateau, with a restricted area for grounds, including the runway.
It is important to understand that the airport is also in line with the Maharashtra government's aim to enhance the connectivity to tourist places about airports other than the city-based airports. Spread over 127 acres the airport was constructed with Rs. 35 crore spent by the government and was designed by the PWD for the 40-seater ATR aircraft. Due to the strategic placement and less stretch of the strip, Ganapatipule Airport is referred to as the shortest runway' Air Terminal in India.
Infrastructure and Capabilities
But unlike the size of this airport, the Ganapatipule Airport has the basic facilities and capacity. Some of the structures include the terminal building, the air traffic control tower, the fire tenders, ambulances, runway lights and signs, wind vanes, standby diesel generator sets, and parking bays.
The terminal building has an area of about 2,200sq ft and contains every passenger facility. The circumstances found around the Konkan coast required engineers to mount wind direction indicators to help pilots. Due to the nature of the area and the valleys that surround it, the operation of the KUIT airport is highly regulated and allows only visual flight rules for the day.
The runway is made of bituminous concrete and has rotation places at the two ends that are 45m by 45m in size. This enables small airplanes to depart and navigate their way back out to the runway. The airport apron can accommodate two ATR 72 at a time only. Notably, as a result of the regulation by aviation authorities on a minimum runway length of 1,620 feet, some part of the hill was pulled down to meet the standard.
Flight Operations
Currently, the Ganapatipule Airport caters only to Alliance Air airline company, which is an affiliate of Air India. Currently, there are daily flights connecting Ganapatipule to Ratnagiri and weekly three flights connecting it to Mumbai under the UDAN regional connectivity program. Since it acts as a civil enclave under the Air Force, military aircraft also sometimes practice touch-and-go operations. Currently, the airport records a gradually increasing number of flights after the COVID-19 pandemic, but the airport's usage is still not at the maximum.
Future Expansion Plans
One can only say that the runway length sets size restrictions; however, the airport has ambitious plans. The Maharashtra government has plans to build a further extension on the current runway to make it to 3000 feet which would allow bigger planes such as the ATR-72 and Q400 to land. There are also plans to erect between 20-30 luxurious tents near the terminal building to foster medical tourism.
The airport will also incorporate two operational pads for helicopters measuring 45m by 45m enhancing the last-mile access to the other tourist attractions nearby. As it would surprise you, there are proposals for the development of this place Ganapatipule as a second option for landing for Mumbai aircraft in case the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport is closed for landing owing to some hindering flights like storms among other factors.
Challenges
While the Ganapatipule Airport is located geographically well, several challenges come with the expansion of this airport. Shortage of land for a longer runway, turbulence in the wind direction, the presence of a valley on both sides of the runway, and other working limitations can be considered major challenges. This is because the area is sensitive to ecological concerns and is a coastal region, this prevents extensive construction and development. Another fact about the DHC-2 is that the pilots need some extra training to complete the challenging hilltop landing maneuver.
Since flight operations are on the rise each year, it can be identified that the airport's operations are below its maximum capacity. While exploring the Konkan region people like to choose car rides over cheap but tiring flights. Something else that remains a problem, especially during peak tourist activities includes limited parking. And directive to also maintain the structural integrity of the old Ganesh temple situated near to it also affects the expansion of the runway towards the sea.
Conclusion
To that extent, perhaps the Ganapatipule Airport embodies what Incredible India is all about: Innovation. These aviation engineers designing this airport had to counter terrain issues and restrictive guidelines to claim a mere 1,620 feet of the total runway length in India. Although the short runway length will always be the airport's most severe drawback and at the same time, the key selling point for the coastal town of Ganapatipule, the airport provides it with the wings of improved aviation accessibility. And if the expansion plans come to reality, then the famous proverb, Have your cake and eat it too!' may not be far from realization for the tourists.