Sri Sathya Sai Airport

2022-03-07T07:04:54Z

117.96.224.99:

{{Short description|Airport of Andhra Pradesh, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Sri Sathya Sai Airport
| nativename = 
| image =
| image-width = 250
| caption = Airside view of terminal building and ATC tower at the Sri Sathya Sai Airport (20 March 2019)
| IATA = PUT
| ICAO = VOPN
| type = Private
| owner =
| operator =
| city-served =
| location = Puttaparthi
| elevation-f = 1,558
| elevation-m = 475
| coordinates = {{Coord|14|08|57|N|077|47|28|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = India Andhra Pradesh#India
| pushpin_label = '''PUT'''
| website = www.aai.aero/
| metric-elev =
| metric-rwy =
| r1-number = 09/27
| r1-length-f = 7,315
| r1-length-m = 2,230
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt]]
| stat-year =
| stat1-header =
| stat1-data =
| stat2-header =
| stat2-data =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Sri Sathya Sai Airport''' {{Airport codes|PUT|VOPN}} is located at [[Puttaparthi]] in the [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]]. The airport is named after [[Sathya Sai Baba]], a spiritual guru and philanthropist. It is a small airport with facilities for chartered flights rather than commercial aircraft. The airport was inaugurated in 1990 to serve the [[Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi|Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences]] during emergency situations. The airport's 1000-metre-long airstrip and terminal building were constructed by L&T ECC. The runway was later extended to enable the operation of larger jet aircraft.<ref name = "HBL">{{cite news|title=Projects for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust|url=https://www.lntecc.com/homepage/multislug/demos/images/bnf/ProjectsforSriSathyaSaiCentralTrust.pdf|publisher=[[Larsen and Toubro]] |access-date=7 August 2014}}</ref>

== History ==
The Sri Sathya Sai Airport was opened on 24 November 1990 to provide emergency air service to the [[Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi|Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences]], as well as commercial service for visitors to [[Prasanthi Nilayam]], Sathya Sai Baba's ashram located in the village.<ref name = "HBL">{{cite news|title=Projects for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust|url=https://www.lntecc.com/homepage/multislug/demos/images/bnf/ProjectsforSriSathyaSaiCentralTrust.pdf|publisher=[[Larsen and Toubro]] |access-date=7 August 2014}}</ref>

Until 2006, the Sri Sathya Sai Airport had scheduled flights to [[Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport|Mumbai]] and to [[Chennai Airport|Chennai]] airport operated by [[Indian (airline)|Indian Airlines]]. From 2006 to 2008, Indian Airlines operated flights to Puttaparthi as a stopover for their Hyderabad-Vishakhapatnam services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sathyasai.org/ashrams/prasanthi/travel.html |title=Travel to Prasanthi Nilayam |publisher=Sathyasai.org |date=2002-11-16 |access-date=2015-08-28}}</ref> Indian Airlines also offered flights to Bangalore thrice a week in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiosai.org/Pages/Airline.htm |title=Sai Global Harmony - Began |publisher=Radiosai.org |access-date=2015-08-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Air Deccan launches service to Puttaparthi|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/14/stories/2005111406980600.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141227220844/http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/14/stories/2005111406980600.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 December 2014|website=[[The Hindu]]|date=2005-11-14|access-date=27 December 2014}}</ref> On 12 November 2005, the Indian low-cost carrier [[Kingfisher Red|Air Deccan]] commenced operations from and to Hyderabad and Chennai twice a day.<ref>{{cite web|title=Air Deccan launches services to Puttaparthi|url=http://indiaaviation.aero/news/airline/2252/59/Air-Deccan-launches-services-to-Puttaparthi|website=India Aviation|publisher=India Aviation|access-date=27 December 2014}}</ref> Delhi-based charter airline [[Jagson Airlines]] also began service to Puttaparthi from Chennai in 2007, before they ceased in 2008. After Air Deccan's integration with Kingfisher Airlines, the latter continued service to Puttaparthi from Bangalore and as a stopover on their Hyderabad-Vishakhapatnam services until 2008, when all scheduled flights to Puttaparthi ceased.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ramanathan |first1=S Kalyana |title=Sri Sathya Sai Baba's airport up for sale |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/sri-sathya-sai-baba-s-airport-up-for-sale-107103101007_1.html |access-date=2 January 2019 |work=Business Standard |date=31 October 2007}}</ref> The airport continues to serve the [[Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi]] for emergency purposes, and hosts dignitaries who visit the town.<ref>{{cite news |title=Puttaparthi airport to facilitate emergency landings; security to be beefed up |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/250721/puttaparthi-airport-to-facilitate-emergency-landings-security-to-be-b.html |access-date=10 August 2021 |agency=DECCAN CHRONICLE |date=25 Jul 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons-inline}}

{{Airports in India}}

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[[Category:Airports in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Anantapur district]]
[[Category:Puttaparthi]]
[[Category:Transport in Anantapur district]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1990]]

{{India-airport-stub}}
{{Anantapur-geo-stub}}

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Sri Sathya Sai Airport