Ajay Kumar at 17:55, 28 August 2023

2023-08-28T17:55:37Z

New page

{{Short description|Airport serving Bhuj, Gujarat, India}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Bhuj Airport
| image = Bhuj Airport.JPG
| image-width = 250
| IATA = BHJ
| ICAO = VABJ
| location = Bhuj, [[Kutch district]], [[Gujarat, India|Gujarat]], [[India]]
| pushpin_map = India Gujarat#India
| pushpin_label = '''BHJ'''
| type = Military/Public
| owner =
| operator = {{Plainlist|
* [[Indian Air Force]]
* [[Airports Authority of India]]
}}
| owner-oper =
| city-served = [[Bhuj]]
| elevation-f = 257
| elevation-m = 78
| coordinates = {{coord|23|17|16|N|069|40|13|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| website =
| metric-elev =
| metric-rwy =
| r1-number = 05/23
| r1-length-f = 8,205
| r1-length-m = 2,501
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| stat-year = April 2022 – March 2023
| stat1-header = Passengers
| stat1-data = 45,755 ({{increase}} 38.9%)
| stat2-header = Aircraft movements
| stat2-data = 1,191 ({{increase}} 30.7%)
| stat3-header = Cargo tonnage
| stat3-data = —
| footnotes = Source: [[Airports Authority of India|AAI]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure III – Passenger Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k23Annex3.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k23Annex2.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k23Annex4.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref>
}}

'''Bhuj Airport''' {{Airport codes|BHJ|VABJ}} is a domestic airport located in [[Bhuj]] in the [[Kutch District]] of the state of [[Gujarat]], India. It is located 4 km from Bhuj.

It is situated at an altitude of {{convert|257|ft|m}} and occupies a total area of {{convert|832|acre|ha}}.<ref name="technical">{{Cite web|title=Technical Information-Bhuj|url=http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/bhuj_technicalinfo.jsp|publisher=[[Airports Authority of India]]|access-date=4 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221140258/http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/bhuj_technicalinfo.jsp|archive-date=21 February 2014}}</ref> It is located {{convert|100|mi|km}} from the Indo-Pakistan border.<ref name="hidebound">{{cite news|title= The Quake's Silent Ally: A Hidebound Bureaucracy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/04/world/the-quake-s-silent-ally-a-hidebound-bureaucracy.html |first=John |last=Burns |date=4 February 2001|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref>

The airport was previously made up of two [[bunker]]s/buildings near the [[Bhuj Rudra Mata Air Force Base]], with which it shares the runway. On one side of the passing road there was an [[Indian Airlines]] bunker. From there a coach would transport passengers across the [[Indian Air Force]] grounds to the small departures terminal.<ref name=gkim /><ref name=tsol>{{cite book|last=Bhatkal|first=Satyajit|title=The Spirit of Lagaan|year=2002|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=9788179910030|pages=104}}</ref>

== History ==
The airstrip was destroyed in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], in air strikes in which Pakistani bombers dropped [[napalm]] bombs. The airfield was raided 35 times in 14 days with attacks by 92 bombs and 22 rockets.<ref name="twinwar">{{cite book|last=Sagar |first=Krishna Chandra |title=The War of the Twins |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XM5oZYYvEmYC&pg=PA212|year=1997|publisher=Northern Book Centre|isbn=978-81-7211-082-6|page=212}}</ref> It was rebuilt during wartime by a group of 300 women from the nearby village of [[Madhapar]] who were given 72 hours to complete the task. Later the [[Government of India]] honoured these women with a cash prize of {{INR}} 50,000.<ref name="rebuilt">{{cite news|title=Women rebuilt Bhuj airstrip destroyed in '71 Pak attack |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-25/rajkot/28319257_1_bhuj-strip-bunkers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106083244/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-25/rajkot/28319257_1_bhuj-strip-bunkers |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 November 2013 |date=25 July 2010|work=[[The Times of India]]|location=Bhuj|access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref> In 1971 war the Air Force base commander was Squadron Leader [[Vijay Karnik|Vijay Kumar Karnik]]. He and his 2 officers with 50 air force and 60 DSC personnel did a great job of keeping airbase operational despite sustaining very heavy Pakistani bombing.{{Cn|date=May 2023}}

== Infrastructure ==

The airport has a single terminal that handles all arrivals and departures.<ref name="jetinfo">{{Cite web |title=Bhuj Airport Information |url=http://www.jetairways.com/EN/ID/AirportInformation/Bhuj.aspx |publisher=Jet Airways |access-date=4 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222102151/http://www.jetairways.com/EN/ID/AirportInformation/Bhuj.aspx |archive-date=22 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The terminal can handle 350 passengers at a time.<ref name="cruisingheights">{{Cite web |title=Cruising Heights |url=http://www.aai.aero/misc/ch8.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127012605/http://www.aai.aero/misc/ch8.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-11-27 |publisher=[[Airports Authority of India]] |date=April 2011 |access-date=4 February 2014 |series=Chapter 34 |page=35 }}</ref> The airport has {{convert|6682|sqm|order=flip}} area on the ground floor and {{convert|1382|sqm|order=flip}} on the first floor. It has two boarding gates and has the capacity for up to 200 people arriving and 200 people departing. There are four check-in counters and one security counter. There is one entry gate and three [[x-ray|x-ray baggage scanner]] provided by the AAI.<ref name="technical" />

The airport can handle aircraft up to the size of an [[Airbus A320 family]] , while the apron can accommodate two [[Boeing 737]]- 800 aircraft at the same time.<ref name="cruisingheights" /> There is also a permanent helipad located at Bhuj Airport.<ref name="kachchhelipad">{{cite web |title=Co-Ordinates of various helipad -Kutch Helipad |url=http://cad.gujarat.gov.in/kutch-helipad.htm |publisher= Directorate of Civil Aviation, Government of Gujarat |access-date=4 February 2014 }}</ref>

== Renaming ==
In 2005, then Member of Parliament from Kutch, [[Pushpdan Gadhavi]], as well as [[Narendra Modi]], then [[Chief Minister of Gujarat]], made a request to the [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]] to rename the airport after revolutionary freedom fighter [[Shyamji Krishna Varma]]. Then Minister for Civil Aviation [[Praful Patel]] turned down the request, stating that foreigners might not be able to find the airport if it was named after someone.<ref name="renamerow" />

== Airlines and destinations ==
[[File:Airport Bhuj.jpg|thumbnail|Apron area of the airport]]

{{Airport-dest-list
|[[Alliance Air (India)|Alliance Air]]| [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport|Mumbai]]
|[[Star Air (India)|Star Air]]|[[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport|Ahmedabad]]}}

== Statistics ==
{{Airport-Statistics|iata=BHJ}}

== Accidents and incidents ==
The airport was damaged in the [[2001 Gujarat earthquake]] and was renovated at a cost of {{INR}} 400 million. The renovated [[airport terminal|terminal]] was dedicated in 2003 by then [[Deputy Prime Minister of India]], [[Lal Krishna Advani]].<ref name="hinderadvani">{{cite news|title=Terror attacks will hinder peace initiative: Advani |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-09-04/india/27217145_1_minister-l-k-advani-security-forces-peace-initiative |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140203181913/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-09-04/india/27217145_1_minister-l-k-advani-security-forces-peace-initiative |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 February 2014 |date=4 September 2003|work=[[The Times of India]]|location=Bhuj|access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="renamerow">{{cite news|title=Row over renaming of Bhuj airport |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-11-05/ahmedabad/27865962_1_praful-patel-upa-government-civil-airport |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140203182005/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-11-05/ahmedabad/27865962_1_praful-patel-upa-government-civil-airport |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 February 2014 |first=Himanshu |last=Kaushik |date=5 November 2005|work=[[The Times of India]] |location=Ahmedabad |access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref>

The original [[ATC tower]] was destroyed in the earthquake and an ad hoc terminal was set up for rescue operations. It was manned by three officers of the [[Indian Air Force]] and handled as many as 800 takeoffs and landings in a four-day window.<ref name="threemen">{{cite news |title=How three men control India's busiest airport this week |url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/20010202/ina02044.html |first=Sonu |last=Jain |date=1 February 2001 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |location=Bhuj |access-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221214954/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/20010202/ina02044.html |archive-date=21 February 2014 }}</ref> The runway itself was damaged but was repaired within hours to allow flights to land by the afternoon of 26 January itself. Equipment was flown in from places like [[Chandigarh]] and the injured were flown out to places like [[Pune]].<ref name=gkim>{{cite book|title=Gujarat (Kutch) India M7.7 Earthquake of January 26, 2001 and Napa M5.2 Earthquake of Sept. 3, 2000: Lifeline Performance|year=2001|publisher=ASCE Publications|isbn=9780784475065|pages=130, 145}}</ref><ref name="killer">{{cite news|title=THE KILLER EARTHQUAKE |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1803/18030050.htm |first=Venkatesh |last=R |date=3 February 2001|author2=Praveen Swami |work=Frontline |location=Ahmedabad |access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref> The Air Force flew helicopters into Bhuj and [[Jamnagar Airport|Jamnagar]] for evacuation as well as set up medical camps.<ref name="PIBIAF">{{cite news|title=INDIAN AIR FORCE : TOUCHING THE SKY WITH GLORY |url=http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2001/foct2001/f041020012.html |date=8 October 2001|agency=[[Press Information Bureau]] |access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of airports in Gujarat]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070104051239/http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/bhuj_generalinfo.jsp Bhuj Airport at the Airports Authority of India]

{{Airports in India}}

[[Category:Airports in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Bhuj]]
[[Category:Transport in Bhuj]]
[[Category:Airports with year of establishment missing]]

Bhuj Airport - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:55, 28 August 2023