Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the New Integrated Terminal Building of Surat International Airport today in the august presence of Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Gujrat, Smt Darshna Jardosh, Union Minister of State for Textiles & Railways and Shri C R Patil, MP, Navsari. The new terminal will provide seamless infrastructure push for one of the most dynamic cities of India known for its booming Textile industry. Surat is also globally well renowned for its Cutting and polishing of diamonds. Surat Airport expansion was completed at a cost of Rs. 353 Crore. The New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) with an area of 25,520 sqm is equipped to serve 1200 Domestic passengers and 600 International passengers during peak hours and 35 lakhs annually. Passenger facilities like - 20 check-in-counters, five conveyor belts and 500 car parking slots for passenger comfort have been provided in the NITB of Surat. The Terminal building has provision for further increasing the peak hour capacity to 3000 passengers during peak hours with annual serving capacity increasing to 55 lakh passengers. Speaking on this occasion, Hon’ble Prime Minister said, “the new integrated terminal building in Surat marks a significant leap in the city's infrastructure development. This state-of-the-art facility will not only enhance the travel experience but also boost economic growth, tourism and connectivity”. Surat is currently connected to more than 14 Domestic cities like Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Goa, Goa Mopa, Pune, Diu, Indore, Udaipur Belgaum, Jaipur and Kishangarh while Internationally it is connected to destinations like Sharjah. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has declared Surat Airport as an International Airport on 15 th December, 2023. The terminal building, as it is the gateway to Surat City, has been designed with its local culture and heritage ensuring that the essence should reflect both in interior and exterior, creating a sense of place for the visitors. The façade of the upgraded terminal building aims to enrich the passenger experience with the rich and traditional woodwork of the old houses of the ‘Rander’ region of Surat City. Air connectivity is key for unlocking economic growth potential, as it attracts business investment and human capital. This increased airport infrastructure and air connectivity at Surat will spur tourism, business, education and generate employment which is vital to the regions’ economic prosperity.