Dholera Airport at a glance
- What it is: A new greenfield international airport near Navagam village, Dholera taluka (Ahmedabad district), Gujarat, planned to serve the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) and operate as a second airport for Ahmedabad as demand grows.
- Project lead & model: Implemented by Dholera International Airport Company Ltd. (DIACL)—a Joint Venture of Airports Authority of India (AAI), Government of Gujarat (GoG) and NICDIT with a 51:33:16 equity split.
- Where exactly is Dholera Airport: 1,426 hectares of government land at Navagam in Dholera; site planning allows two runways, i.e. 3200 and 4000m long. I will be sharing the exact location of Dholera Airport below using an infographic.
- Phase-1 specs: 3,200-metre runway (Code E capable), 3.5 MPPA (million passengers per annum) passenger terminal.
Budget, phasing & economics
Phase-1 Budget (CCEA)
₹0 cr
Runway, terminal & core air/land-side infra
Delivery window
48 months (Jun 2022 → Dec 2025)
0% elapsed toward PDC
Phase-1 Specs
Future-proofing: 4,000 m second runway reserved
On-site visuals & renders
What is Dholera International Airport?
Dholera International Airport is a new, purpose-built (greenfield) airport designed to anchor the logistics spine of Dholera SIR, one of India’s most ambitious industrial townships along the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). Beyond simply adding capacity, the airport is structured to handle significant cargo, catalyse aerotropolis-style development (aviation-linked businesses, training, MRO), and function as Ahmedabad’s second airport as the region’s economy scales. If you are looking to invest in real estate of Dholera SIR, now is the best time to invest. I often say, don’t buy Dholera for yourself, buy it for your future generations.
Location & land footprint
- Site: Navagam, Dholera taluka (Ahmedabad district)
- Land area: 1,426 ha (government land)
- Planning envelope: The site plan can accommodate two runways (future provision shown as ~3200 m and 4,000 m in planning drawings), with parallel taxiways, aprons, passenger and cargo terminals, car park, hotel/convention centre and nav-aids (DVOR). According to latest reports, both of these runways are almost ready and Cargo Terminal is near completion.
- Distance: The airport lies ~80 km (aerial) from Ahmedabad and about ~20 km from DSIR, designed to augment capacity and reduce congestion in the Ahmedabad–Gandhinagar region. This airport will be the backbone of cargo operations required for Dholera Smart City’s manufacturing needs.
Dholera Airport Phase-1: What is being built
- Runway: 3,200 metres, enabling Code E aircraft operations (wide-body types like B777/A330 families).
- Terminal: 3.5 MPPA initial passenger handling capacity.
- Cargo: Dedicated cargo facilities sized to grow alongside Dholera SIR. These are the salient features recorded by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in a 2023 Parliamentary reply, with the Probable Date of Completion (PDC) stated as December 2025.
Timelines & current status
Site clearance: Granted by the Central Government (MoCA) in July 2014.
Environmental Clearance: November/December 2015, followed by minor EC amendments in 2017 (e.g., updated survey numbers after final demarcation).
Project Structure & Approvals: In-principle approval and JV arrangements led to AAI (51%) taking the lead role through DIACL, with GoG (33%) and NICDIT (16%). A Share Subscription-cum-Shareholders Agreement was signed 25 March 2019. Source: Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Completion target reaffirmed: Government reply (Rajya Sabha) July 21, 2025—expected completion: December 2025. Lets assume that if the handover is done by 1st January 2026 and all other required checks and approvals are done in 3 Months, then we can expect Dholera Airport Cargo terminal to go live before 31st March 2026 and it will skyrocket the growth of Dholera.
Budget, phasing & economics
Phase-1 budget: ₹1,305 crore, with a 48-month delivery window approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. This phase covers the 3,200 m runway, terminal, and core airside/landside infrastructure to commence operations and scale over time.
Long-run demand ramp: Central government projections point to steady ramp-up of both passenger and cargo throughput linked to DSIR’s industrial base. The site master plan reserves space for a second, longer 4,000 m runway and aviation-linked commercial development.
Note: According to our sources and recent official site visits, both runways are almost complete.
Who is responsible for what
- Owner / Lead Implementer (AAI): Airports Authority of India holds 51% in DIACL, making it an AAI-subsidiary JV.
- Government of Gujarat: 33% equity via DIACL; land assembly, state-level facilitation, and trunk connectivity support.
- NICDIT (DMIC Trust): 16% equity partner aligning the airport with DMIC/DSIR logistics planning.
- DIACL (the SPV): Plans, procures, builds and later operates (or concessions) facilities in phases, including potential aviation zone/MRO on adjacent land.
Why build a new international airport in Dholera?
- Decongestion & redundancy: Framed as a second airport to Ahmedabad to support rising metro-area demand and distribute wide-body movements/cargo.
- Industrial logistics: DSIR’s heavy-industry and export focus benefits from on-airport cargo and air-adjacent industrial land, shortening the supply chain.
- 21st-century site geometry: Greenfield design enables longer runways, parallel taxiways, clear approaches, and room for future terminals—hard at land-constrained brownfield sites.
Connectivity & bigger transport picture
- Expressway: The 109-km Ahmedabad–Dholera Expressway has been under intensive review in 2025 for timely completion. It is a 4-lane corridor expandable to 8-lane (ROW already secured), reflecting the government’s focus on Dholera’s growth and connectivity.
- Freight rail links: The Bhimnath–Dholera freight rail and DFC connectivity integrate with DSIR’s logistics web—an all-modes plan where air + expressway + freight rail + sea ports together make early cargo operations viable.
