Surat airport to operate overseas flights from October

Now, passengers from Surat will be able to travel to international destinations from the city airport, as it has been accorded the international status. The airport has been given permission to operate round the clock by the Airport Authority of India (AAI). It is reportedly in the process of recruiting staff and set up immigration and customs counters at the terminal. The central government had notified the airport as customs airport. 
 

“For summer schedule, we considered four airports including Patna, Guwahati and two others for 24x7," DNA quoted as saying Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman of AAI. Mohapatra said few more airports are considered including Surat for winter schedule. Despite knowing that Surat has been a loss making airport the airport has been given permission to fly international flights, as it has the potential in the South East Asia. Making an airport 24x7 operational is a heavy expenditure, he said. First international flight is expected to commence from October onwards. 
 
The Surat airport at present operates from morning 6.00 am to 11.00 pm and it is closed for eight hours every day. To operate international flights, the airport have to be operational in the night, the report said.