Gaya Airport

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This article is about the airport in India. For the airport in Niger, see Gaya Airport (Niger).

Gaya Airport
Gaya Airport GAY.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesGaya
LocationGaya, Bihar, India
Opened2002
Elevation AMSL116 m / 380 ft
Coordinates24°44′40″N 084°57′04″E / 24.74444°N 84.95111°E / 24.74444; 84.95111Coordinates: 24°44′40″N 084°57′04″E / 24.74444°N 84.95111°E / 24.74444; 84.95111
WebsiteGaya Airport
Map
GAY is located in Bihar
GAY
GAY
GAY is located in India
GAY
GAY
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 2,286 7,500 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2021 - March 2022)
Passengers47,311 (Decrease 32.1%)
Aircraft movements625 (Decrease 20.7%)
Source: AAI[1][2]
IndiGo Airbus A320 at Gaya Airport, Dec. 2020

Gaya Airport (IATA: GAY, ICAO: VEGY) is an international airport serving Gaya, Bihar, India. This airport is 12 kilometres south-west of Gaya and 5 kilometres away from the temple city of Bodh Gaya, from where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.

Overview[edit]

Gaya Airport is spread over an area of 954 acres. An additional 100 acres of land is under encroachment while another 100 acres of land from four villages is to be acquired for runway expansion. The airport terminal building, spread over 7,500 square meters can handle 250 incoming and 250 outgoing passengers. This airport is mainly seasonal and primarily caters to Buddhist tourists coming from South East Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, etc.[3]

A January 2021 report by the Parliament of India described the IATA code as "inappropriate, unsuitable, offensive and embarrassing" for Gaya due to the city's religious significance. In its report, the Committee on Public Undertakings recommended changing the airport code from "GAY" to "YAG", asking the government to "make all efforts" to change the code. As of February 2022, IATA has rejected a code change, stating that airport codes are permanent unless a strong justification relating to air safety is given.[4] LGBT groups in India have criticized the parliamentary committee's request as reflective of homophobia.[5]

Expansion[edit]

An additional 100 acres of land is under encroachment while another 100 acres of land from four villages is to be acquired for runway expansion. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to develop the airport as a standby to the Kolkata Airport.[6] Minister of State for Civil Aviation K C Venugopal had informed the Rajya Sabha on 28 August 2013 that Airports Authority of India (AAI) has requested the government of Bihar for a further acquisition of around 200 acres to allow the airport to be expanded. The airport is to be expanded and upgraded with the construction of a new passenger terminal building which would replace the current terminal structure. Other expansion works include expanding runaway 10/28, and installation of CAT-1 ILS approach lighting. In the future, a cargo terminal has also been planned to be built.[7]

Airlines and destinations[edit]

AirlinesDestinations
Drukair Seasonal: Paro[8]
IndiGo Delhi,[9] Kolkata[10]
Myanmar Airways International Seasonal: Yangon
Thai AirAsia Seasonal: Bangkok–Don Mueang
Thai Smile Seasonal: Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi

Statistics[edit]

See source Wikidata query and sources.


Passenger, and Aircraft Movement at Gaya Airport (2011-2022)

Year Passengers Change Aircraft Movement Change Ref
2021–22 47,311 Decrease 32.1% 625 Decrease 20.7% [11]
2020–21 69,655 Decrease 70.7% 788 Decrease 78.1% [12]
2019–20 237,452 Increase 11.1% 3,606 Increase 36.1% [13]
2018–19 213,635 Increase 14.4% 2,649 Increase 8.6% [14]
2017–18 186,670 Increase 5.1% 2,439 Increase 11.2% [15]
2016–17 177,663 Increase 13.1% 2,193 Increase 4.8% [16]
2015–16 157,144 Increase 22.0% 2,093 Increase 28.0% [17]
2014–15 128,829 Increase 24.6% 1,635 Increase 13.8% [18]
2013–14 102,212 Decrease 16.5% 1,437 Decrease 5.6% [19]
2012–13 121,091 Increase 23.2% 1,524 Increase 23.9% [20]
2011–12 98,273 Increase 94.0% 1,230 Increase 108.5% [21]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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  1. ↑ "Annexure III - Passenger Data" (PDF). www.aai.aero. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "Annexure II - Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). www.aai.aero. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Buddhist Tourists". Archived from the original on 26 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "'GAY' code for Gaya airport inappropriate; make all efforts to change it: Parliamentary panel tells govt". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Farrukh, Rimal (7 February 2022). "Lawmakers Say This Holy City's Airport Code Is Too GAY". Vice. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Airport land issue: Patna's loss, Gaya's gain". The Times of India. 13 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Gaya Airport - Status, Master Plan & Design". The Metro Rail Guy. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Drukair to resume Paro-Gaya service from Dec-2022". CAPA. 26 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "IndiGo to commence Delhi-Gaya service in Oct-2020". CAPA. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Indigo to operate 22 new domestic flights from 28 March". www.livemint.com. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2021-2022". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2020-2021". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2019-2020". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2018-2019". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2017-2018". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2016-2017". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  17. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2015-2016". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  18. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2014-2015". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  19. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2013-2014". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  20. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2012-2013". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "AAI Traffic News 2011-2012". www.aai.aero. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

External links[edit]


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