Bot at 18:58, 7 August 2022

2022-08-07T18:58:46Z

New page

{{Short description|Airport of Rajasthan, India}}
{{For|the airport in Russia with IATA code NAL|Nalchik Airport}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Bikaner Airport
| image =
| image-width = 300px
| caption =
| IATA = BKB
| ICAO = VIBK
| type = Military/Public
| owner =
| operator = [[Indian Air Force]]
| city-served =
| location = [[Bikaner]], [[Rajasthan]]
| pushpin_map = India Rajasthan#India
| pushpin_label = '''BKB'''
| elevation-f = 750
| elevation-m = 229
| coordinates = {{Coord|28|04|14|N|73|12|25|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| website = www.nalairport.com
| metric-elev = y
| metric-rwy = y
| r1-number = 05/23
| r1-length-f = 8,960
| r1-length-m = 2,731
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt]]
| stat-year = April 2021 - March 2022
| stat1-header = Passengers
| stat1-data = 16,183 ({{decrease}} 28.4%)
| stat2-header = Aircraft movement
| stat2-data = 438 ({{decrease}} 27.7%)
| footnotes = Source: [[Airport Authority of India|AAI]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure III - Passenger Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k22Annex3.pdf|website=www.aai.aero|access-date=7 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure II - Aircraft Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k22Annex2.pdf|website=www.aai.aero|access-date=7 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure IV - Freight Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k22Annex4.pdf|website=www.aai.aero|access-date=7 July 2022}}</ref>
| stat3-data = —
| stat3-header = Cargo tonnage
}}

'''Nal Air Force Station''' ([[IATA]]: '''BKB''', [[ICAO]]: '''VIBK'''), also known as '''Bikaner Air Force Station''' and '''Civil Airport Bikaner,''' is a [[domestic airport]] and an [[Indian Air Force]] Station, which serves the city of [[Bikaner]] in [[Rajasthan]], [[India]], located 13 km (8 mi) west of the city. The [[civil enclave]] within is operated by the [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI) and regular scheduled flight under the [[UDAN]] scheme were inaugurated in 2017.<ref name="TOI"/>

==History==
By 1964, the diversionary [[Indian Air Force]] airfield at Nal was built and operationally ready.<ref name=pal1>{{cite book|author=PC Lal|title=My Years with the IAF|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eBszCSguEscC&pg=PT158|publisher=Lancer Publishers LLC|isbn=978-1-935501-75-6|page=158}}</ref> The civil air terminal as an enclave within the airforce station was inaugurated on 29 June 2014, and on 26 September 2017 regular flight to Delhi was inaugurated by Air India.<ref name="TOI">{{cite news |title=Raje inaugurates Bikaner's air termina |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Raje-inaugurates-Bikaners-air-terminal/articleshow/37485473.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=30 June 2014 |access-date=14 July 2014 }}</ref>

The government-owned [[Vayudoot]] operated a 20-seater aircraft to this airport in the past but the service was terminated in 1987. The foundation stone of the new terminal was laid in March 2009 by the then Chief Minister [[Ashok Gehlot]].<ref name="THX">{{cite news |title=Bikaner set to have own airport |url= http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-03/jaipur/28036762_1_air-connectivity-bikaner-foreign-tourists |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120714201201/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-03/jaipur/28036762_1_air-connectivity-bikaner-foreign-tourists |url-status= dead |archive-date= 14 July 2012 |work= [[The Times of India]] |date=3 March 2009 |access-date=2 July 2010 }}</ref> The airport was expected to be completed in March 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=MoD nod for building at Bikaner civil airport |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-27/jaipur/30446787_1_aai-defence-ministry-airports-authority |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707083917/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-27/jaipur/30446787_1_aai-defence-ministry-airports-authority |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 July 2012 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=27 November 2011 }}</ref> A dispute between the AAI and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding height of the terminal building led to delay in starting air services. AAI authorities constructed the building up to the height of 6.75 metres, whereas MoD had permitted a maximum height of 5 metres.<ref>{{cite news |title=NOC from Ministry of Defence has been received for construction of truce building of the height of 6.75 Meters at Nal Civil Airport at Bikaner |url=http://thaarexpress.com/English-News/air-services-in-bikaner |work=The Thar Express |date=28 November 2011 |access-date=29 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102106/http://thaarexpress.com/English-News/air-services-in-bikaner |archive-date=7 April 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=नाल एयरपोर्ट के लिए एनओसी मिली |url=http://www.bhaskar.com/article/RAJ-OTH-1630886-2592869.html |work=The Dainik Bhaskar |date=28 November 2011 |access-date=29 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126151437/http://www.bhaskar.com/article/RAJ-OTH-1630886-2592869.html |archive-date=26 November 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=गस्त 2012 तक उनका विभाग इन दोनों एयरपोर्ट का निर्माण पूरा कर इसे हवाई उड़ानों के लिए तैयार कर देंगे |url=http://www.seemasandesh.com/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=21833 |work=The Dainik Bhaskar |date=4 April 2012|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407123257/http://www.seemasandesh.com/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=21833 |archive-date=7 April 2014 }}</ref> The civil enclave will include a terminal for 100 passengers and a 60 x 90 m [[airport apron|apron]] capable of holding two [[ATR 72]] aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/Bikaner.jsp |title=Airport Website |publisher=[[Airports Authority of India]] |access-date=22 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809110137/http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/Bikaner.jsp |archive-date=9 August 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bikaner Airport construction was completed in August 2013.

==Airlines and destinations==
===Passenger===

{{Airport-dest-list
|[[Alliance Air (India)|Alliance Air]] | [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Alliance Air Schedule|url=https://www.airindia.in/where-we-fly.htm|website=www.airindia.in|access-date=17 June 2021}}</ref>
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Airports in India}}

{{authority control}}

{{Indian Air Force}}

[[Category:Indian Air Force bases]]
[[Category:Airports in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Transport in Bikaner]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1964]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in Rajasthan]]

{{India-airport-stub}}

Bikaner Airport - Revision history

Bot at 18:58, 7 August 2022