Gujarat's Hirasar airport to be ready for operations by March end

The airport at Hirasar in Gujarat's Rajkot district will be ready for operations by the end of this month and will have the longest runway in the state, a senior official said on Saturday.

Landing and other calibration tests began at the facility, located on the outskirts of Rajkot city, on Saturday, he said.

Talking to reporters, district collector Arun Mahesh Babu said the airport has a 3.5-km long runway, which is the longest in Gujarat, and it also has a 700-metre water tunnel below the runway, which is the longest in Asia.

"It is a historic day for Rajkot, as this will be the main airport for the entire Saurashtra region. This can also emerge as the largest airport in Gujarat...The instrument landing checking for the airport began today," Babu said.

Landing and systems calibrations through the air traffic control (ATC) will go on for two days, he said.

"Ninety-nine per cent work is complete. Seven windmills (located in the area) are being removed, and the approach road from t