📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Trinidade
Travel
Centre approves foreign immigration, enabling international flights from Rajkot, Vadodara
✍️ Bhaskar English
🗓 13 Nov 2026, 12:31 AM
👁 4
The Union government has approved the establishment of foreign immigration facilities at Rajkot and Vadodara airports, clearing the way for the launch of international flights from these Gujarat cities.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has given the green light for foreign immigration infrastructure at the airports of Rajkot and Vadodara. This approval removes a regulatory hurdle, allowing the two airports to handle passengers travelling beyond India’s borders.
With the facilities now sanctioned, airlines can submit proposals to operate international services from these hubs. The move is expected to boost tourism and trade in the region, offering direct connectivity to overseas destinations that previously required travel via larger airports such as Ahmedabad or Mumbai.
Officials indicated that the infrastructure will be rolled out in phases, with initial focus on basic immigration and customs counters. Once operational, the airports will be able to process outbound and inbound international passengers, expanding Gujarat’s aviation footprint.
The decision aligns with the government’s broader agenda to develop tier‑2 cities as aviation gateways, reducing pressure on major metros and fostering regional economic growth.
With the facilities now sanctioned, airlines can submit proposals to operate international services from these hubs. The move is expected to boost tourism and trade in the region, offering direct connectivity to overseas destinations that previously required travel via larger airports such as Ahmedabad or Mumbai.
Officials indicated that the infrastructure will be rolled out in phases, with initial focus on basic immigration and customs counters. Once operational, the airports will be able to process outbound and inbound international passengers, expanding Gujarat’s aviation footprint.
The decision aligns with the government’s broader agenda to develop tier‑2 cities as aviation gateways, reducing pressure on major metros and fostering regional economic growth.