Airport Guide to Ahmedabad (AMD)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, also called Ahmedabad Airport, is located a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Ahmedabad city in the Indian state of Gujarat, serving the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. It is the gateway to India’s sixth-largest city and the fascinating state of Gujarat.

The airport includes four terminals; the International Terminal (Terminal 2) was modelled on Singapore’s award-winning Changi Airport and opened in September 2010. The roofline of this terminal resembles the kites flown on the banks of the Sabarmati River during the annual kite festival in January.

Ahmedabad Airport mainly serves domestic air traffic, with low-cost carriers such as SpiceJet, Jet Airways, IndiGo and Kingfisher offering inexpensive flights to Ahmedabad International Airport from cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Jaipur. International flights to Ahmedabad Airport include flights from Newark, Dubai, Doha and Singapore.

The airport is particularly busy before and after the Hajj period (which occurs in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar, differing slightly every year), when the older Terminal 3 is opened for secondary traffic.

Back to top

Terminal Transfer

There is an on-demand inter-terminal bus service between the domestic and international terminal. There is also a 500m (1,640ft) moving walkway connecting the two terminals.

Back to top

Getting into Town

Train: The Ahmedabad train station is located 8km (5 miles) from the airport. Trains run between Ahmedabad and several Indian cities including Jodhpur, Delhi, Jaipur, Pune, Bangalore and Goa as well as within Ahmedabad to a further 15 local stations.

Bus: A bus service to and from the airport is run by the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS). Tickets into town cost INR 5-10 (a paltry £0.06 to £0.13).

Taxis: A prepaid booth is located outside both arrivals terminals. The drive into town costs between INR 250 (about £3) and INR 300 (£4). Auto rickshaws are also available and cost INR 150 (£2) into town.

Back to top

Car Parking

Parking facilities are available at both the Domestic and International Terminals as well as at the secondary traffic terminal. There is only one rate for parking at this airport; the INR 60 (about £0.80) per hour fee is cheap for short-stay passengers, but long-term parking can become quite costly. The parking fee is calculated by the hour so if visitors stay for ten minutes or 59 minutes the fees will be the same.

Back to top

Information Desks

The airport’s information desk staff members are friendly and helpful. The International Terminal has a tourist help desk.

Back to top

Airport Facilities

Money and communications: There is a bank in both the Domestic and the International Terminal, ATMs, currency exchange, a telephone booth and post office.

Luggage: A lost and found baggage service is available at the airport.

Conference and business: The airport does not have a business centre yet. However, there is a VIP area available in the newly-built International Terminal and there are two airport hotels at Ahmedabad Airport, including the Taj Residency and the Sunset Comfort Inn.

Other facilities: The airport has a great selection of shops within the terminals, particularly in the duty-free area of the International Terminal. There are also a number of snack bars and small restaurants.

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is not available at the Ahmedabad Airport. However a Cyber Café is likely to be built in the near future.

Back to top