Raja Bhoj Airport

Raja Bhoj Airport
IATA: BHO ICAO: VABP
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Airports Authority of India
Operator	Airports Authority of India
Serves	Bhopal, Sehore, Hoshangabad, Guna, Raisen Madhya Pradesh
Location	Gandhi Nagar, Bhopal
Elevation AMSL	1,719 ft / 524 m
Coordinates	23°17′15″N 077°20′15″E
Maps
BHO Location of airport in India BHO BHO (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 06/24 3,420 1,835 Bituminous tar/Asphalt 12/30 9,022 2,744 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2020 - March 2021)
Passenger movements 462,932 (65.2%) Aircraft movements 5,672 (60.5%) Cargo tonnage 1,454 (4.7%)
Source: AAI

Raja Bhoj Airport (IATA: BHO, ICAO: VABP) is the primary airport serving Bhopal, capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Named after the 10th century Paramara king Raja Bhoj, it is the second busiest airport in Madhya Pradesh after Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport in Indore in terms of passenger movement and aircraft movement. Bhopal Airport is set to get the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility due to its advantageous central location in India.

It is located in the north-western side of Bhopal, 15 kilometers away from the Bhopal Junction railway station in the city centre, and 20 kilometers away from the Habibganj railway station in the south of the city. The airport is also near the intersection of National Highway 46 (which forms a ring-road around Bhopal) and State Highway 18, which connects Bhopal to Indore.

Development

Runway

In 2010, the length of the runway was increased to 2,744 metres (9,003 ft), making it possible for larger aircraft to land at Bhopal. The first direct seasonal international flight from Bhopal was to Jeddah, a Hajj charter flown by Saudia on 23 October 2010 for Hajj travellers.

Renewable energy

In 2013, the airport became the first airport in the state to use solar power for running its utility grid system. A 100-kilowatt solar power plant was made operational in June 2013, with plans to install a 2-megawatt solar power plant at the airport in the future. The airport has night landing facilities, an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and CAT VII fire services.

Cargo and Logistics hub

A new Air Cargo Hub is being planned with 17 acres land sanctioned near the airport for the same, while for now, the old terminal building is being redeveloped into a Cargo Complex to increase cargo operations from the capital airport. The temporary Air Cargo Complex will be inaugurated by October 2019.

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Facility

Bhopal airport has been selected as one of the eight new destinations to set up Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India. The central location of the airport throughout the country provides ample growth and logistics prospects for the facility.

Immigration check post and International flights

In September, the DGCA started the process for granting international status to Raja Bhoj airport. In November 2019, a joint central team composed of members of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation visited the airport to review the arrangements in starting immigration facilities, and did not find any major hurdles. With this, the airport is all set to become an immigration check post, which is a mandatory requirement for operating international flights.

View of the apron from the aerobridge.

Integrated terminal

The integrated terminal building worth Rs 1.35 billion was inaugurated on 28 June 2011 by the then Civil Aviation minister, Vayalar Ravi. The state government had given 400 acres of land for the construction of international terminal. The terminal building is built over an area of 26,936 square metres (289,940 sq ft) and has 14 check-in counters, 4 immigration counters for departures and 6 immigration counters for arrival.

Interior of the Terminal at Bhopal Airport

Terminal view from Apron

It also has twenty-two customs counters, 11 for arrival and 11 for departure, and six X-ray machines for security. The terminal, now, also has an eatery and a few retail stores, that were developed as part of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) scheme of master concessionaire. The terminal is connected with 3 aerobridges. A fourth aerobridge is under construction.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air India	Delhi, Mumbai, Pune
IndiGo	Agra, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Raipur

Statistics

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See also

• Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport
• Jabalpur Airport
• Gwalior Airport
• Khajuraho Airport
• List of airports in India
• List of the busiest airports in India

External links

• Raja Bhoj Airport (Airports Authority of India web site)