Airport Name: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport
Airport Code: VNS
Distance from City: 18 Kms.
Direction from City: 18 Kms. (North-West)
Runway Length : 7238 ft.
Runway Elevation : 266 ft.
Longitude: 82° 51’ 34” E
Latitude : 25° 27’ 8” N
World Area Code : 733
GMT Offset : +5.5
Varanasi Airport
Varanasi is a city bursting with attractions. It is a popular tourist destination and attracts visitors from all over the world. Varanasi is known for its silk and muslin fabrics, handicrafts items, temples,and different kinds of people. It is also famous for its long past and old customs. The river Ganga and the Ghats are the main things that bring peace and beauty to this city. All over the city, you can see the oldest forts and temples. It is said to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and its religious and cultural importance is revered across the country.Varanasi offers visitors a unique experience that is truly unforgettable.
Varanasi, also known as Kashi, is well connected to other parts of India and the world through good transportation facility.Thisholy Hindu city has a strategic location at the banks of Ganges River and this has given a great boost to its air transport facility. The city has its own airport, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, catering to both domestic and international travellers. Therefore, traveling to and from Varanasi is not a major issue and you can easily travel without any hassle.
Getting to the Past of Varanasi Airport
The Babatpur airport is operational since 1924. It was initially known as Varanasi Airport. It then underwent expansion and was adequately equipped with modern aviation and other facilities, before being renamed for India’s Prime Minister. In October 2005the name was officially changed after Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was India’s second Prime Minister. In the same year, the airport went through a big project to change and grow. The airport building was updated and made bigger so it could handle more people. The airport also had facilities and services that were up-to-date and meant to improve the journey experience as a whole.
The Union Cabinet gave the Varanasi Airport international status on October 3, 2012.When it first opened, the airport was called Varanasi Airport, and it connected Varanasi to other big Indian cities. Today, the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport is the primary airport for reaching the ancient city of Varanasi.
An Overview of Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport
Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is the primary international airport of Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located nearly 18 kilometres in the northern outskirts of the city, the airport is a vital part of the economic and aviation development of this region. The Varanasi Airport’s code is VNSgiven by the International Air Transport Associationand the ICAO code is VEBN. It is one of the most important hubs for people in Varanasi. Passengers can book flights from the Varanasi Airport to any place they want by looking at a list of all the companies that fly from Varanasi.It is the second-busiest airport in Uttar Pradesh and the twentieth busiest airport in India when measured by the number of passengers it processes.
The Varanasi Airport is on 582.5 acres of land and is surrounded by farms. It consists of two runways, an administrative building and a cargo complex. Asphalt covers the floor of the runway. It is 2,745 meters long and stands 16 feet above sea level. At the local arrival hall at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, passengers can rent a car or use one of the other public transportation options.
This airport is well-connected to various cities in India and some international destinations and provides easy transportation option for tourists. It also has a number of cargo and logistics services for transporting necessary items and material in and out of the city. The air transport facilities in Varanasi thus provide tourists with a timely and efficient means of travelling to different places in a short duration.
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport Amenities
Varanasi is one of the holy places for Hindus, and the airport is a way to get there. Because of this, the airport is busy all year long. The airport has everything that people need to be comfortable. The airport offers several convenient amenities to its travellers, such as a 24-hour Help Desk, as well as dedicated counters for lost and found items, baggage claim, and check-in, among other services. The waiting area has important services for passengers, a store for travellers, a bookstore with a newsstand, and stores that sell things from Varanasi, like Banarasi Saris. The terminal also boasts of ATMs, shop, luggage storage, and cafes which are ideal for travellers with limited time. There is also a VIP waiting lounge.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is also known for its seamless security procedures and user-friendly operations. The airport is equipped with state-of-the-art safety features to ensure the safety of the travellers. It also has the latest technologies in place to help passengers navigate through the airport.Taxis, buses, and auto rickshaws can all take you from the airport to the city. Varanasi is close to all of India’s big towns, like Delhi, Allahabad, and Lucknow, and there is a direct flight from the Varanasi Airport to New Delhi every day.
Fastest Growing Regional Airport
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport is a hub for commercial airlines such as Air India, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, Indigo, and Air Asia. The airport’s strategic location allows it to serve both domestic and international flights. It also provides direct flights to major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, and Hyderabad, as well as to destinations abroad.
Given the immense growth and development of the facility over the years, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is providing excellent services and a world-class travelling experience to travellers in and around Varanasi. Airports Council International has recognized this airport as the top airport in the Asia-Pacific region for the year 2020 for its capacity to accommodate between 2 and 5 million passengers annually.
In recent years, the airport has seen tremendous growth and improvement, with an expansion of its runway and a remodel of the terminal building. Planning and work has also been undertaken to expand existing services and include more luxurious and advanced features such as aircraft maintenance, fire safety, the provision of air control towers, and increased cargo capacity.
Architecture of Varanasi Airport
The stations now have central air conditioning and can hold up to 800 people at the same time. There are four elevators, two aerobridges, 16 check-in counters, and five lifts in the passenger terminals. This building has two stories and is 26,500 square meters big. The departure and arrival rooms are large and very nice.
The airport’s new and better deck has room for 22 planes. At Varanasi Airport, there are three gates. With a floor space of 3,900 square meters (42,000 square feet), an integrated terminal serves both domestic and foreign flights. The terminal has 16 CUTE (common-user terminal equipment) check-in desks, four immigration counters that can also be used to leave the country, and two baggage-claim belts. The airport has a seating area on the upper level for the aero-bridge gates and a gate on the ground level that lets you walk to or take a shuttle bus to other planes on the apron. Five small planes can park on the strip at the same time.
Domestic Terminal: The airport’s domestic terminal has all the latest amenities, such as elevators and a high-tech system for moving bags.
International Terminal: The second terminal is for international flights and is known for connecting the city to all the big international destinations.
Cargo Terminal: The Cargo Terminal is about half a kilometre from the Airport Terminal. It has warehouses and all the moving equipment needed. Tight security methods make sure that goods are completely safe. The port has warehouses, storage rooms, and other high-tech features needed to keep the goods safe. The terminal also has watchful security to stop anything bad from happening.
Services at Varanasi Airport
At Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, Air India, and Indigo are among the airlines that fly there. Both Buddha Air and Air India travel to Kathmandu from this airport. Buddha Air has two direct trips each week between Kathmandu and Varanasi and back.You can fly to Colombo on SriLankan Airlines from this airport. Thai Airways also flies from here to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Private jet Charter: At Varanasi Airport you can hire private jets for leisure trips or even quick work trips. People who hire private jets don’t have to wait in line at domestic or foreign terminals because they have their own terminal.
Freight Flights: For express freight, the Varanasi airport has a cheap freight airplane charter service. The airport has forklifts, trucks, and all the other tools and equipment that are needed to load goods safely.
Service for ambulances: At Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in Varanasi, you can get an air aid for intensive care. These air ambulance services have the right medical tools and people who know how to use them.
Other Offered Facilities
Food:There are a few places inside the airport that serve a wide range of foods to people who are hungry or just bored.
Services for bags:The airport has a number of services, such as suitcase carts and free help with luggage for people with disabilities and older people.
Parking: The airport authority has built a new, bigger, and better parking place for all passengers who are waiting.
India’s first Reading Lounge: Varanasi Airport
The first airport in India to have a reading lounge is the Lal Bahadur Shastri International (LBSI) Airport in Varanasi. In addition to books about Kashi, the lounge’s library has literature and books in many different languages. It also has books written by young people and released as part of the Prime Minister YuvaYojana. The free reading area at the Varanasi airport is the first of its kind in the country.
The lounge was set up with help from the Indian publishing house National Book Trust (NBT), which is an independent group under the Union government’s Ministry of Education. The Airport Reading Lounge is a reflection of Kashi for both traditionalists and modern tourists and passengers, as well as for those who want to learn more about this ancient city’s mystical past.
The reading lounge offers literary representations of Varanasi through their works, famous places, and unknown facts and connections to the city, in addition to India’s culture, history, and traditions.People come from all over the world to see Varanasi’s beauty, and the free reading room at the airport adds one more star to the comfort of tourists.
Expansion Plans for the Airport
Varanasi is the holiest city in India, and it is full of culture and faith. To keep the rich history alive, the original terminal building is being kept, and a new design is being suggested that would only be used for domestic flights.
The airport is still being built up and improved so that it can handle the growing number of passengers and meet foreign standards. It is a major traffic hub for the area and helps Varanasi and the area around it grow economically and attract tourists.The Airports Authority of India wants to make the runway longer from 2,750 m (9,020 ft.) to 4,075 m (13,369 ft.). This is because the number of passengers and airplane movements is growing.
The Airports Authority of India made a plan for a new second airport in November 2019. It will be finished by 2024. The airport will be 58,691 m2. Since the airport was made bigger, there has been a steady rise in both domestic and foreign passenger traffic.