Srinagar airfield was established by the Indian Air Force. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the airport received an airlift of Indian army troops to prevent Pakistan army from capturing Srinagar. Although the airport was small and lacked landing aids, the airlift was still carried out successfully on 27 October 1947.[4] In September 1965, the Srinagar Airport was subjected to an air raid amid the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, which left some aircraft damaged.[5][6]
In 1979, the Airports Authority of India established a civil enclave at the airport.[7] The terminal was modified in February 1998 to be able to handle international Hajj flights which started operating from January 2002.[8][9] During the Kargil War in 1999, the airport was taken over completely by the Air Force and civilian flights were stopped.[10]
In March 2005, the airport was granted international status by the Indian government. In 2006, the airport was renamed Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport after the Sheikh-ul-Alam, a KashmiriSufi saint.[11][12] In 2020, BJP demanded the airport to be renamed as Major Somnath Sharma International Airport after Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, Param Vir Chakra.[13]
Infrastructure
Terminal
The airport has an integrated terminal, handling both domestic and international flights. It covers 19,700 m2 (212,000 sq ft) and can serve 950 passengers at a time.[7]
A view from the apron showing the terminal and aero-bridges
The terminal is designed on the Himalayan theme and has a sloping roof to facilitate easier removal of snow.[14] The terminal was constructed as a part of a larger expansion project at a cost of ₹1.3 billion (US$16 million), initiated by the Government of India and was inaugurated on 14 February 2009.[7][15] There are nine parking bays with five connected by aerobridges with the terminal.[16][7] In 2019, the authorities planned to construct a new airport terminal handling only international flights with domestic flights operating from the older terminal.[17] In September 2021, the Aviation Minister announced that the existing terminal will be expanded from the present 25,000 m2 (270,000 sq ft) to 63,000 m2 (680,000 sq ft) at a cost of ₹1,500 crore (US$180 million).[18] Other amenities include a food court, food outlets, handicraft shops, ATMs, currency exchanges and WiFi.[19][16]
Runway
There is a single asphalt runway, 13/31, with dimensions 3,685 by 46 metres (12,090 ft × 151 ft).[20] It has been equipped with an instrument landing system since February 2011.[14] In August 2018, a test flight was conducted for night landing by Directorate General of Civil Aviation.[21][22] On 19 March 2021, commercial night flying operations at the airport started.[23]
Airlines and destinations
In February 2009, Air India Express started weekly flights to Dubai, the first regularly scheduled international flight from Srinagar.[7][9] However, due to low demand from passengers, the flights were terminated in January 2010.[24]
The airport is located about 12 km (7.5 mi) from the city of Srinagar.[35] There is a car park with 250 spaces.[7] The government provides a paid bus service between the airport and the tourist reception center near Lal Chowk, while the Airports Authority of India operates a free bus service between the terminal and the airport entrance gate one km (0.62 mi) away.[36] The airport is also served by taxis and car rental agencies, which have their booths outside the terminal.[16]
^"Srinagar -- VISR". DAFIF. October 2006. Archived from the original on 20 November 2004. Retrieved 25 November 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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