Rajkot: In a major boost for industrialists and students from Saurashtra region, IndiGo Airlines is likely to begin operating flights from Rajkot’s Hirasar International Airport to China via Kolkata starting October. The service will connect Rajkot to Ganzhou, China, with flights scheduled four days a week.

According to officials, the customs facilities at Hirasar Airport are complete, while immigration processes will be handled in Kolkata. The Rajkot–Kolkata leg will operate as a domestic flight, after which the same aircraft will continue to China.

The move is expected to benefit a large number of industrialists who travel for business and students pursuing medical education in China, who until now had to rely on longer routes through Bangkok, Singapore, or Hong Kong.

Alongside the China route, IndiGo has also proposed resuming flights to Indore and Udaipur before Diwali, as well as starting an additional morning flight to Delhi. The airline currently connects Rajkot to Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Ticket schedules and booking details are expected to be announced soon.

Rajkot’s Hirasar International Airport, Gujarat’s first greenfield airport, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 23, 2023. Built at a cost of ₹2,654 crore by the Airports Authority of India, the facility also saw the construction of a new terminal seven months ago at an additional cost of ₹326 crore.

Despite its “international” status, direct overseas flights have not yet commenced due to operational and infrastructure shortcomings, including poor passenger connectivity, lack of a food court, and limited facilities at the terminal. DeshGujarat