Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and performed Bhoomi Pooja (virtually) for the Construction of the New International-standard Terminal at the Hubballi Airport.
Hubballi Airport will have an International standard terminal capable of handling 2400 peak-hour passengers (1200 Arrivals + 1200 Departures) with a total built-up area of 19,600 sq.m.
The new terminal of Hubballi Airport will have an annual capacity of 3.5 Million passengers per annum. It will have 32 Check-in counters, 9 X-BIS machines and 3 Conveyor belts.
The new terminal will be built at a cost of ₹320 Crores, the prominent feature being, that it will have 5 star GRIHA rating. The project will have a GRIHA rating score of more than 90.
The apron at the Hubli Airport will also be expanded to accommodate 10 Code C aircrafts (Boeing 737/Airbus A320) including a provision to park 4 Code C aircrafts.
Among these, 4 parking bays in the Apron area will be directly connected with the Departure gates in the new terminal via Aerobridges helping passengers to board/deboard easily.
The Bhoomi Pooja function was attended by Union minister and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi, MLA Arvind Bellad & Mahesh Tenginakai, Mayor Veena Bharadwad, Dharwad DC Divya Prabhu, AAI officials and Airport Advisory Committee (AAC) members.
The new terminal will have several advanced features to make it a sustainable structure. Some of the sustainability features of the new terminal are as follows.
Insulated roofing system, Provision of Canopy for Energy saving, LED lighting, Low heat gain double glazing unit, Rain water harvesting to recharge ground water level.
Landscaping with Fountains, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, Water treatment plant, Sewage treatment plant and Use of recycled water for Landscaping.
The new terminal will enhance the air connectivity of the region, stimulate economic growth of the region, boost education and employment, and accelerate the growth of trade, industry and tourism sectors.
The new terminal will be built keeping in mind the cultural legacy of the region. It will also help in preserving and promoting the heritage of the region and the state.
About Hubballi Airport: Hubballi Airport is a domestic airport spread across 957 acres. It has a runway of 2600m*45m (08/26) runway capable of handling Code C aircraft.
The existing terminal building is at an area of 3600 Sq.m with an annual capacity to serve 5.9 Lakh passengers. It can handle 300 peak-hour passengers (150 Arrivals and 150 Departures).
The total traffic handled at Hubli Airport during 2022-23 is 3.2 Lakhs. Considering the rapid growth of passenger traffic and the existing terminal reaching saturation, AAI has proposed to construct a new terminal.
Also read: Complete details of the New Terminal of Hubballi Airport.
Hubli is the second largest city in Karnataka, forming the agglomerate corporation area with the city of Dharwad making it the largest urban agglomeration in Karnataka next to Bengaluru.
Hubballi Dharwad is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state of Karnataka. This highlights the potential of Hubballi Dharwad as a key player in the aviation sector.
IndiGo operates direct flights to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad from Hubli Airport. The Delhi and Mumbai (temporarily suspended) sector is operated by 186-seater Airbus A320 aircraft, and IndiGo operates it on all days.