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Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport

Coordinates: 25°27′08″N 082°51′34″E / 25.45222°N 82.85944°E / 25.45222; 82.85944
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Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport
Vns .jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of India
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesVaranasi
LocationBabatpur, Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Elevation AMSL270 ft / 82.30 m
Coordinates25°27′08″N 082°51′34″E / 25.45222°N 82.85944°E / 25.45222; 82.85944
WebsiteVaranasi Airport
Map
VNS is located in Uttar Pradesh
VNS
VNS
Location of airport in Uttar Pradesh
VNS is located in India
VNS
VNS
VNS (India)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,745 9,006 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2024 - March 2025)
Passengers4,027,810 (Increase 34.4%)
Aircraft movements26,687 (Increase 30.1%)
Cargo tonnage6,033 (Increase 27.8%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport (IATA: VNS, ICAO: VEBN) is an international airport serving Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located at Babatpur,[4] 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Varanasi. Formerly known as Varanasi Airport, it was officially renamed after Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 2nd Prime Minister of India, in October 2005.[5] It is the 19th-busiest airport in India in terms of passenger movement, and the second-busiest airport in Uttar Pradesh. The airport was awarded as the best airport in Asia-Pacific in 2020 (2 to 5 million passengers per annum) by Airports Council International.[6] It is the first airport in India to make announcements in Sanskrit language.[7]

Terminal

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Lal Bahadur Shastri statue at Varanasi Airport

An integrated terminal serves both domestic and international flights, with a floor area of 3,900 square metres (42,000 square feet).[8] The terminal features 16 check-in counters with CUTE (common-user terminal equipment), four immigration counters that double up as emigration counters, and two baggage-claim belts.[9] Besides an upper-level seating area for the aero-bridge gates, the terminal features a ground-level gate to reach other aircraft on the apron on foot, or via shuttle bus.[9] The apron can simultaneously park five narrow-body aircraft.[10] The waiting area features essential services for the passengers, besides snack stalls, a travellers' convenience store, a bookstore with a newsstand, and stores selling merchandise indigenous to Varanasi, such as Banarasi Saris; and a VIP waiting lounge.[11]

Replica of varanasi ghats at varanasi airport
Replica of Varanasi ghats at Varanasi Airport

Airfield

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The airport features a single asphalt runway bearing 09/27. It is 9,006 feet (2,745 m) in length, with turnarounds on both ends, and two exits to the main apron.[9] A third, seldom-used exit leads to an isolated apron for use in emergency.[9]

An IndiGo aircraft being serviced by three mobile gangways at Varanasi Airport

Airlines and destinations

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Apron area of the airport
AirlinesDestinations
Air India Delhi, Mumbai[12]
Air India Express[13] Bengaluru, Chennai,[14] Delhi, Ghaziabad (begins 1 May 2025),[15] Hyderabad,[16] Jaipur (begins 1 June 2025),[17] Mumbai,[18] Sharjah
Akasa Air Bengaluru, Hyderabad,[19] Mumbai[19]
Alliance Air Kolkata,[20] Pantnagar[21]
Buddha Air Kathmandu
IndiGo[22] Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Khajuraho,[23][24] Kolkata, Lucknow,[25] Mumbai, Pune[26]
SpiceJet Bengaluru, Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune[27][28]

Future plans and projects

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Due to increasing passenger traffic and aircraft movements the Airports Authority of India is planning to extend the runway to 4,075 m (13,369 ft) from the existing 2,750 m (9,020 ft). An underpass will be constructed as the expansion will intersect with National Highway 31.[29]

In November 2019, the Airports Authority of India came up with a proposal for a new second terminal, which will be completed by 2024. The total area of the terminal will be 58,691 m2 with passenger capacity of 4.5 million per year.[30]

On 20 October 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for several projects at the Airport, including the expansion of the airport runway, a new terminal building, and other allied works, totalling around ₹2,870 crore.[31][32]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data". aai.aero. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data". aai.aero. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data". aai.aero. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Varanasi". Airports Authority of India. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Varanasi Airport renamed". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 20 October 2005.. It acquired its position in India's major airports after more than 4 million passengers used the airport in 2024-25.
  6. ^ "2020 - Best Airport by Size and Region". ACI World. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Varanasi International Airport makes announcement in Sanskrit". The Times of India. 24 June 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or Varanasi Airport (VNS)".
  9. ^ a b c d "Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or Varanasi Airport (VNS)". AAI. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Varanasi Airport (VNS), Varanasi International Airport | IndiGo". www.goindigo.in. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Shopping". AAI. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Time Table". www.airindia.in. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Our Network". Air India Express. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Air India Express NS25 Domestic Network Additions – 16MAR25". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  15. ^ "एक मई से पटना के लिए हिंडन एयरपोर्ट से उड़ान, बनारस और लखनऊ के लिए भी फ्लाइट की तैयारी". Navbharat Times (in Hindi). Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  16. ^ Ahmed, Arfath (8 January 2025). "Air India Express Adds New Mumbai to Varanasi Flights Amid Maha Kumbh Mela 2025". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Air India Express NS25 Domestic Network Additions – 20APR25". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Fly91 Winter Schedule".
  19. ^ a b "Akasa Air Flight Network". Akasa Air. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Alliance Air to launch Kolkata-Varanasi flight from February 8". AviationAll. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Dhami flags off flights from Doon to Ayodhya, Varanasi & Amritsar". Times of India. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Flights Schedule for Domestic & International Flights IndiGo". www.goindigo.in. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  23. ^ Velani, Bhavya (22 August 2023). "IndiGo Launches the New and 80th Destination as Khajuraho". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  24. ^ "INDIGO 1H23 DOMESTIC ROUTES ADDITION SUMMARY – 05MAR23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  25. ^ "CM Adityanath inaugurates first flight service between Lucknow, Varanasi". Press Trust of India. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  26. ^ "IndiGo to launch Pune-Varanasi flight from February 11". JetArena. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Spicejet domestic expansion".
  28. ^ "SpiceJet Flight Schedule". SpiceJet. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  29. ^ "UP airport 1st to have national highway under runway - Times of India". The Times of India. 5 June 2018.
  30. ^ "गंगा की लहरों व शिवलिंग सा होगा वाराणसी एलबीएस इंटरनेशनल एयरपोर्ट टर्मिनल, डिजाइन तैयार". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). 10 November 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  31. ^ "PM Modi to launch several projects during his Varanasi visit". The Hindu. PTI. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  32. ^ "PM Modi in Varanasi today to unveil ₹6,100 crore Diwali gift, inaugurate multiple projects". Mint. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
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