Airport in Gujarat, India
Porbandar Airport (IATA: PBD, ICAO: VAPR) is a public airport in Porbandar, Gujarat, India. Currently, civilian flights are not operational. Apart from civilian operations it also has a military presence in the form of INAS 343 of the Indian Navy and CGAE Porbandar of the Indian Coast Guard. A new terminal building was opened in April 2008.[1] There are currently no scheduled passenger flights from the airport.
Structure
The airfield is spread over 278.32 acres (1.1263 km2), has a 4,500 feet (1,400 m) long runway and an apron that can accommodate 2 ATR 72 aircraft. The new 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) Terminal Building at Porbandar Airport has been built at a cost of ₹13.50 crore (US$1.7 million). The building has six Check-in Counters and two Conveyor Belts in the Arrivals hall and can handle 100 arriving and 100 departing passengers at a time.[1]
Military Enclaves
Naval Air Enclave
- INAS 343, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Squadron, was commissioned at the Naval Air Enclave, Porbandar in January 2011. This is the first Operational UAV Squadron under the Western Naval Command. Nicknamed ‘Frontier Formidables’, the Squadron operates IAI Heron and IAI Searcher MkII UAVs and has the dual tasks of undertaking operational missions besides providing training.[2]
- INAS 314 "Raptors" a new EW squadron was established on 29 November 2019. This squadron is responsible to undertake maritime surveillance in North Arabian Sea. Dornier 228 is currently operated by this squadron.[3]
CGAE Porbandar
Coast Guard Air Enclave, Porbandar, was commissioned on 12 June 2008.[4] It provides logistical and administrative support to the Dornier Flight and 850 Sqn (ICG) which operates the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).[5]
