PM Modi to inaugurate The New Integrated Airport Terminal Building at Port Blair

Today, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the new integrated terminal building of the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Port Blair is a popular destination for tourists and is a gateway to the pristine islands of Andaman and Nicobar. The large and spacious New Integrated Terminal Building will increase aviation traffic and promote tourism in the area. Additionally, it will help improve employment possibilities for the locals and boost the local economy.

The major part of improving connectivity for the union territory is anticipated to be played by the New Integrated Terminal Building, which was constructed for about Rs 710 crore. The new terminal building has a total floor area of around 40,800 square meters and can accommodate about 50 lakh passengers a year. Ten airplanes can now be parked at once at the airport. The airport will be equipped with 28 check-in counters, three passenger boarding bridge and four conveyor belts. The city side of the terminal is well developed to handle adequate parking of cars, taxis and buses.

The architectural style of the airport terminal was inspired by nature and resembles a shell-shaped structure that represents the sea and islands. In order to reduce heat gain, the new airport terminal building has a double-insulated roofing system, skylights that maximize natural light entry during the day to reduce the need for artificial lighting inside the structure, LED lighting, and low heat gain glazing. Other aspects of the terminal building that ensure little environmental harm to the islands include rainwater collection in an underground water tank, on-site sewage treatment with 100% of treated wastewater utilized for landscaping, and a 500 KW solar power plant.