In a major development aimed at reducing congestion at Gujarat's busiest airport, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad has commissioned two new parallel taxiways that promise to transform air travel efficiency.
New Infrastructure to Handle Growing Passenger Traffic
The airport announced on Wednesday that it has successfully commissioned two new Code C parallel taxiways: Taxiway R and Taxiway R1. Both facilities will become fully operational starting 7am on November 27, marking a significant milestone in the airport's expansion plans.
This infrastructure upgrade comes at a crucial time when air traffic in Gujarat has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. According to official statistics, the airport handled 7.8 million passengers between April and October, representing a 7% year-on-year increase. Currently, the facility manages approximately 280 air traffic movements (ATMs) daily, with peak days seeing as many as 330 ATMs.
How the New Taxiways Solve Critical Bottlenecks
Before these additions, aircraft operations faced significant delays due to an inefficient taxiing process. "Earlier, almost every departure and some arrivals had to backtrack," explained an airport source. "After push-back, an aircraft would taxi out and wait for take-off clearance. Once cleared, it would enter Runway 05/23, travel all the way to the end, make a U-turn, and then line up for take-off."
This cumbersome process added two to three minutes to each movement and kept the runway occupied longer than necessary, causing cascading delays throughout the system. During peak hours, this meant arriving aircraft often had to circle in holding patterns while departing flights experienced extended ground delays.
The newly opened Taxiway R stretches 1,126 metres and can accommodate all Code C aircraft, including popular models like the A320 and B737. Combined with the older taxiway already in operation, the total parallel taxiway length now reaches 3,011 metres running alongside the main runway.
Tangible Benefits for Passengers and Airlines
The operational improvements are substantial and multifaceted:
- Runway handling capacity increases by 40%, rising from 20 ATMs per hour to 28
- 95% of aircraft operating at Ahmedabad can now enter or exit the runway without backtracking
- Taxiway R1 provides direct connection to Runway 05/23, enabling faster movement during peak hours
- Reduced runway occupancy time lowers the risk of runway conflicts
- Improved predictability of arrival and departure sequencing
- Shorter ground time means less fuel consumption and reduced emissions
- Better stand allocation and faster aircraft turnaround times
- More efficient use of apron space, creating potential for additional flight options
The new parallel taxiways have been constructed to comply with DGCA and ICAO standards and represent a key component of Ahmedabad International Airport Limited's (AIAL) strategy to transform SVPIA into a future-ready aviation hub. For passengers, these improvements translate to fewer delays, more on-schedule departures, and predictable arrivals, while airlines benefit from additional movement slots and smoother operations.
