SnehAnchliya at 18:55, 25 April 2026

2026-04-25T18:55:05Z

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{{short description|Airport in Gondia, Maharashtra, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Gondia Airport
| nativename =
| image = Gondia Airport.jpg
| image-width = 260
| IATA = GDB
| ICAO = VAGD
| type = Public
| city-served = [[Gondia]]
| location = Zilmili, [[Gondia district]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]
| opened = {{start date and age|1940|||df=y|p=n|br=n}}<ref name="MPWD"/>
| elevation-f = 987
| elevation-m = 301
| coordinates = {{coord|21.522|N|80.288|E|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| website = [https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/gondia Gondia Airport]
| pushpin_map = India Maharashtra#India
| pushpin_label = '''GDB'''
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Maharashtra
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| r1-number = 04/22
| r1-length-f = 7,005
| r1-length-m = 2,135
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| caption = |
| stat-year = April 2024 - March 2025
| stat1-header = Passengers
| stat1-data = 32,116 ({{increase}} 119.6%)
| stat2-header = Aircraft movements
| stat2-data = 824 ({{increase}} 98.6%)
| 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/Mar2k25Annex3.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k25Annex2.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k25Annex4.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref>
| owner-oper = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| image2 = Gondia Aiport Apron.jpg
| image2_size = 260
}}

'''Gondia Airport''' {{airport codes|GDB|VAGD}}, also known as '''Birsi Airport''', is a [[domestic airport]] serving the city of [[Gondia]] in [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. It is located at Zilmili near Birsi village, {{cvt|17|km}} north-east of the city centre. It is also home to the [[Gondia Airport#National Flying Training Institute (NFTI)|National Flying Training Institute]] (NFTI), where purposes of general aviation and pilot training are conducted.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gondia Airport|url=https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/gondia|website=[[Airports Authority of India]]|access-date=31 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="MPWD">{{cite web |title=Airstrips in Maharashtra |url=http://www.mahapwd.com/statistics/airstrips.htm |publisher=Maharashtra Public Works Department |accessdate=1 April 2012 |archive-date=1 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001075044/http://www.mahapwd.com/statistics/airstrips.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="CAE">{{cite web |title=CAE Gondia |url=http://website.cae.com/gondia/ |website=[[CAE Inc.]]|accessdate=30 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120716061501/http://website.cae.com/gondia/ |archivedate=16 July 2012 }}</ref> Other nearby airports include [[Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport|Nagpur]] (NAG) (124.8 km), [[Swami Vivekananda Airport|Raipur]] (RPR) (163.2 km) and [[Jabalpur Airport|Jabalpur]] (JLR) (192.2 km).

==History==
The airstrip was built by the British in 1940 during [[World War II]] as an air force base of the [[Royal Indian Air Force]].<ref name="MPWD"/> After independence, it was initially run by the Public Works Department, and then taken over by the state-owned [[Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation]] (MIDC) from August 1998 to December 2005, after which it has been operated by the [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI).<ref>{{cite web |title=MIDC airports |url=http://midcindia.org/Pages/SectorialStrength.aspx#3 |accessdate=30 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328122747/http://www.midcindia.org/Pages/SectorialStrength.aspx#3 |archivedate=28 March 2012 }}</ref> The AAI extended the runway at the airport to 7,500 feet to handle larger aircraft such as the [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] and [[Boeing 737]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Akola, Gondia next aviation hot spots |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-11-21/nagpur/27964352_1_gondia-akola-airport-national-flying-training-institute |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711090457/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-11-21/nagpur/27964352_1_gondia-akola-airport-national-flying-training-institute |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 July 2012 |date= 27 November 2007 |work=[[The Times of India]] |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref>

In March 2022, the low-cost regional airline, [[FlyBig]], commenced regular and direct flight services to [[Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport|Indore]] and [[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport|Hyderabad]] under the [[Government of India|government's]] [[UDAN|UDAN Scheme]] for improving regional connectivity and accessibility to remote regions through air from major regions of India. However, the airline indefinitely suspended operations in August 2022 for unspecified reasons after operating only for five months. Since then, the airport has remained inoperative, until in October 2023, [[List of airlines of India|India's largest airline]], [[IndiGo]], announced it would restart commercial operations in the airport by starting new flights to [[Hyderabad airport|Hyderabad (HYD)]] on 1 December 2023.<ref>{{cite news|title=Commercial flight operations from Birsi airport to resume from Dec 1|url=https://infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/aviation/commercial-flight-operations-from-birsi-airport-to-resume-from-december-1/104839530|work=[[The Economic Times|ET Infra]]|date=31 October 2023|access-date=31 October 2023|language=en}}</ref> In September 2025, regional airline [[Star Air (India)|Star Air]] commenced direct flights to [[Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport|Indore (IDR)]]. Currently these are suspended due to unspecified reasons. They will restart from 1 June 2026, and will operate on a Tri-weekly basis (Mon,Wed,Sat) to and from [[Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport|Indore (IDR)]] and also provide a 1-stop connection to [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport|Mumbai Airport (BOM)]]. The flights to [[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport|Hyderabad]] are operational till 30th April 2026.

==Facilities==
The airport has a single runway, oriented 04/22, measuring {{cvt|3200|m}} in length and 45 metres in width, with a parallel taxiway connecting to it, measuring {{cvt|1697|m}} in length. The main [[Airport ramp|apron]] measures 100 m × 150 m. The airport is equipped with a [[Non-directional beacon]] (NDB), [[VHF omnidirectional range#DVOR|DVOR]], [[Distance Measuring Equipment]] (DME) and [[Instrument Landing System]] (ILS) to support the nighttime landing of aircraft.

==Airlines and destinations==
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2026}}
{{Airport-dest-list
|[[IndiGo]]|[[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport| Hyderabad]] (Until 30 April 2026)|[[Star Air (India)|Star Air]]|[[Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport|Indore]],[[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport|Mumbai]] (Restarts from 1 June 2026)}}

==National Flying Training Institute (NFTI)==
CAE Global Academy Gondia/NFTI commenced operations at the airport after receiving the [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]]'s (DGCA) approval on 19 February 2009. The academy is a joint venture between the [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI) and [[CAE Inc.]], a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[aerospace]] company. The Gondia School is one of 11 members of the CAE Global Academy network.<ref name="CAE"/>

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

== See also ==
* [[List of airports in Maharashtra]]
* [[UDAN|UDAN Scheme]]
* [[CAE Inc.]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Airports in India}}

[[Category:Gondia district|Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Airports in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Vidarbha]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1940]]
[[Category:1940 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:20th-century architecture in India]]

==External links==
* [https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/gondia Official website]

Gondia Airport - Revision history

SnehAnchliya at 18:55, 25 April 2026