Srinagar Airport

Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport or Srinagar Airport, also known as Budgam Airbase is an international airport serving Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is owned by the Indian Air Force with the Airports Authority of India operating a civil enclave at the airport and was designated as an international airport in 2005. The airport is located in Budgam, about 12 km south of Srinagar. It has an integrated domestic and international terminal with one asphalt runway.

History
Srinagar airfield was established by the Indian Air Force. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the airport received an airlift of Indian army troops to prevent Pakistan army from capturing Srinagar. Although the airport was small and lacked landing aids, the airlift was still carried out successfully on 27 October 1947. In September 1965, the Srinagar Airport was subjected to an air raid amid the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, which left some aircraft damaged.

In 1979, the Airports Authority of India established a civil enclave at the airport. The terminal was modified in February 1998 to be able to handle international Hajj flights which started operating from January 2002. During the Kargil War in 1999, the airport was taken over completely by the Air Force and civilian flights were stopped.

In March 2005, the airport was granted international status by the Indian government. In 2006, the airport was renamed Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport after the Sheikh-ul-Alam, a Kashmiri Sufi saint. In 2020, the airport was proposed to be renamed as Major Somnath Sharma International Airport after Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, Param Vir Chakra.

Terminal
The airport has an integrated terminal, handling both domestic and international flights. It covers 19700 sqm and can serve 950 passengers at a time. The terminal is designed on the Himalayan theme and has a sloping roof to facilitate easier removal of snow. The terminal was constructed as a part of a larger expansion project at a cost of inr 1300000000, initiated by the Government of India and was inaugurated on 14 February 2009. There are nine parking bays with four connected by aerobridges with the terminal. In 2019, the authorities planned to construct a new airport terminal handling only international flights with domestic flights operating from the older terminal. In September 2021, the Aviation Minister announced that the existing terminal will be expanded from the present 25000 m2 to 63000 m2 at a cost of inr 15000000000. Other amenities include a food court, food outlets, handicraft shops, ATMs, currency exchanges and WiFi.

Runway
There is a single asphalt runway, 13/31, with dimensions 3685 x. It has been equipped with an instrument landing system since February 2011. In August 2018, a test flight was conducted for night landing by Directorate General of Civil Aviation. On 19 March 2021, commercial night flying operations at the airport started.

Airlines and destinations
In February 2009, Air India Express started weekly flights to Dubai, the first regularly scheduled international flight from Srinagar. However, due to low demand from passengers, the flights were terminated in January 2010.

Access
The airport is located about 12 km from the city of Srinagar. There is a car park with 250 spaces. The government provides a paid bus service between the airport and the tourist reception center near Lal Chowk, while the Airports Authority of India operates a free bus service between the terminal and the airport entrance gate 1 km away. The airport is also served by taxis and car rental agencies, which have their booths outside the terminal.

Notable accidents and incidents
On 7 September 1965, amid the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, four fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force attacked the Srinagar airport. An Indian Air Force Douglas C-47 Skytrain and an Indian Airlines Douglas DC-3 were destroyed during the air raid. A Chicago Tribune article published the following day reported that one Indian aircraft and a Caribou transport of the United Nations observers headquarters were damaged.