The Veer Savarkar International Airport, also known as the Port Blair Airport is the only airport in the entire Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. This airport connects the Andaman and Nicobar islands with the Indian subcontinent.
Named after the freedom fighter and a brave son of Mother India, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, this airport connects the remote islands with the metropolitan cities of India.

Connecting Airports

Numerous two-way and one-way flights connect the Veer Savarkar International Airport with the major airports within the Indian sub-continent.

Here is a list of two-way flights:

Kolkata ⇌ Port Blair

Delhi ⇌ Port Blair

Chennai ⇌ Port Blair

Mumbai ⇌ Port Blair

Bengaluru ⇌ Port Blair

Ahmedabad ⇌ Port Blair

Hyderabad ⇌ Port Blair

In addition to the two-way flights, several one-way flights connect important cities of India to Port Blair. These include:

Vishakhapatnam ⇒ Port Blair

Bhubaneswar ⇒ Port Blair

For more information related to the availability of flights, schedules, cancellations and fares – contact Andaman Emerald Holidays.

List of Flights and Connecting Destinations

  • IndiGo – Connects Andaman with Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata.
  • Go First – Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru
  • SpiceJet – Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru (On Seasons)
  • Vistara (On Seasons) – Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai

    • Entry Formalities

    Here is all the information that you need regarding the entry formalities for both Indian citizens and foreigners.

    For Indian Citizens

    There are no travel restrictions for Indian citizens to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. You may or may not carry your passport. However, you must carry a National Identity Card.

    For Foreigners

    For foreigners visiting Indian from visa-exempted countries, carrying a passport is mandatory while travelling to Andaman. For travellers from other countries, both the visa and passport are a must.

    Note:

    1)  All visitors, be it Indian citizens or foreigners are required to co-operate with the airport authorities regarding customs and checkings. 
    2)  Please follow all Covid-19 protocols during travel and co-operate during Covid-19 screening measures.
    3)  Don’t forget to carry your Covid-19 vaccination certificates.

    Veer Savarkar Airport (IATA: IXZ, ICAO: VOPB) is a domestic airport located 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Port Blair and is the main airport of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Originally known as “Port Blair Airport”, it was renamed in 2002 after Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who had been detained in the Cellular Jail in the city for 11 years.[4] It operates as a civil enclave, sharing airside facilities with INS Utkrosh of the Indian Navy.[5]

    Overview

    The airport has a single runway of 3,290 m (10,794 ft) in length, accommodating most narrow-body aircraft, that includes Airbus A320, Airbus A321, and Boeing 737. Except for the civilian terminal operated by the Airports Authority of India, all other air traffic operations over Port Blair are undertaken by the Indian Navy.[6]

    Terminal

    The passenger terminal has a capacity of 400 passengers. It covers an area of 6,100 square metres  There is only one terminal, with two gates and no aerobridges.  are used to provide transportation from the terminal to the aircraft parked on the apron.

    New terminal

    f
    Apron area of the airport Due to increasing traffic, a new 40,837 sq.m. passenger terminal at a cost of ₹ 707 crore is under construction since 2019. It will have three floors–one for arrivals, second for departures and third for waiting. Inside the terminal, there will be 28 check-in counters and four conveyor belts. Initially, it was planned that it will have three aerobridges, but recently, it has increased to four. It will be able to handle 1,200 passengers (600 domestic and 600 international) at peak hours, and will be able to serve 5 million passengers per annum.[8]

    As of 2022, the new terminal is under construction, and it is about 83% completed. It was s expected to be completed by October 2022 but now it is confirmed to be opened by the first half of 2023.

    Domestic Airport

    A domestic airport is an   that handles only domestic flights within the same   Domestic airports do not have customs and immigration facilities and so cannot handle flights to or from a foreign airport.

    These airports often have short runways sufficient to handle short or medium haul  and regional air traffic. metal detectors are used in most countries, but in many cases they were installed decades after security checks for international flights had become commonplace.

    Most municipal airports in  and the  are of this classification. At   in Canada, there are domestic terminals that handle flights within Canada (flying from one Canadian city to another).

    Additionally, some airports that are named “international” are essentially domestic airports that handles international traffic on an irregular basis. A notable example of this is  (Itami Airport) in the outskirts of Most of these airports are located in the United States.

    In the   an example of a domestic airport is   which operates frequent flights to other Scottish airports.

    Some small countries or regions do not have any public domestic airports, or even public domestic flights, due to its size or political reasons.

    Regional airport

    A regional airport is an airport serving traffic within a relatively small or lightly populated geographical area. A regional airport usually does not have and facilities to process traffic between countries. In Canada regional airports usually service connections within Canada and some flights to the United States. A few U.S. regional airports, some of which actually call themselves international airports, may have customs and immigration facilities staffed on an as-needed basis, but the vast majority serve domestic traffic only.

    Aircraft using these airports tend to be smaller  private aircraft and of both   propelled or  varieties. These flights usually go a shorter distance to a larger regional hub. These airports usually have shorter runways, which exclude heavy planes with much fuel.

    Europe

    In countries, regional airports are often classed as airports that do not serve the country’s capital/most major city. Examples of larger regional airports include    and  which are both among Europe’s busiest airports and are used by both large and small planes. In countries like France, Germany, and Sweden, a regional airport is an airport for small planes, even though they go to the national hub, just like flights from larger airports. Examples of small regional airports include  and Worship Airport. In  a country with long distances and many  airports, regional airports are those with flights to a regional hub, not to the capital.

    INS Utkrosh

    INS Utkrosh (IATA: N/A, ICAO: VOPB), is an Indian naval air station under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Armed Forces. It is located near naval base INS Jarawa, on Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.[1]

    It shares airside facilities with which handles civilian traffic.

    History

    The airfield at  was transferred from the  to the Indian Navy on 9 March 1984.  It was initially commissioned as INS Jarawa II.

    On 11 May 1985, the air station was formally commissioned as INS Utkrosh by then  making it the first naval air station in Andaman & Nicobar Islands Its location makes it an important strategic station for protecting India’s maritime interests in the  It also serves as an important facility for undertaking humanitarian operations, such as disaster relief and evacuation of medical emergencies from the remote islands.

    The facilities at  INS Utkrosh  have been significantly upgraded. The runway has been lengthened to almost 11,000 feet (3,400 m).  Except for the civilian terminal operated by the  all other air traffic operations over Port Blair are undertaken by INS Utkrosh. The geography makes this a difficult airfield for aircraft, as a hillock at one end means that planes can land or take off only in one direction. Winds change here every six months, so pilots have to either take off or land with strong tail winds.
    Units
    Naval Air Squadrons based at INS Utkrosh include:
  • INAS 318, a reconnaissance squadron operating Dornier 228 aircraft
  • INAS 321, operating HAL Chetak helicopters[3]
  • a Training squadron operating Pipistrel Alpha Trainer aircraft
    • Naval Air Station
    A naval air station is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy (Naval aviation). These bases are typically populated by squadrons, groups or wings, their various support commands, and other tenant commands.
    The term “Naval Air Station” is used by many countries’ navies, such as the United States Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Navy, and the Indian Navy.
    The Argentine Naval Aviation operates four Base Aeronaval (BAN): from BAN Punta Indio (BAPI) in Buenos Aires Province through BAN Comandante Espora (BACE) and BAN Almirante Zar (BAAZ) in Patagonia to BAN Almirante Quijada (BARD) at Tierra del Fuego. Runways also serve domestic airlines at almost all Argentine military air bases. The Navy operates Estacion Aeronaval (EAN) (stations) which have smaller crews and are not normally assigned aircraft. These include Ezeiza, Rio Gallegos and Ushuaia.
    Argentinean Navy
    The facilities at INS Utkrosh have been significantly upgraded. The runway has been lengthened to almost 11,000 feet (3,400 m).  Except for the civilian terminal operated by the  all other air traffic operations over Port Blair are undertaken by INS Utkrosh. The geography makes this a difficult airfield for aircraft, as a hillock at one end means that planes can land or take off only in one direction. Winds change here every six months, so pilots have to either take off or land with strong tail winds.
    The Argentine Naval Prefecture, serving as the Coast Guard, also operates air stations at Posadas, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, and Comodoro Rivadavia. Aircraft operating out of these bases are heavily involved in air/sea rescues.