Bamrauli AFS
Summary
Operating Country | 🇮🇳 India |
Location | 🇮🇳 India |
Status | ◉ Active |
Usage | Dual |
Year built | 1931 |
Operating Organization | Indian Air Force |
Units |
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Description
Prayagraj Airport, also known as Allahabad Airport, is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base located in the Bamrauli suburb of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is one of the oldest airports in India and is currently under joint operation of the Indian Air Force and the Airports Authority of India. The Air Force station is the headquarters of Central Air Command and operates under this command of the Indian Air Force.
Domestic commercial aviation in India began from a polo field at Allahabad in 1911. Construction of an airfield at Allahabad started in 1924, and the aerodrome was established in 1931. It was among the first four international airports in the country, offering direct services to London until 1932. Imperial Airways operated flights on the Karachi-Kolkata route, including a stop at Allahabad, from 1933 to 1940. The airfield was also a compulsory stop for the MacRobertson Trophy Air Race in October 1934. From 1941 to the early 2000s, the airport did not host regular commercial flight services. Commercial flights were reintroduced in 2003 by Air Sahara and later by Alliance Air in 2005.
In 2018, the airport underwent an upgrade with the construction of a new civil terminal extension, completed in 11 months. A larger terminal was completed in January 2025 to accommodate increased traffic. The airport is served by a single runway, 12/30, which is 2,560 meters long and 45 meters wide. It is ILS CAT-I compliant, enabling night and low-visibility landings. This system was installed during the 2018–2019 expansion phase, allowing for night flight operations. The new terminal, completed in December 2018, has a peak capacity of 300 passengers per hour and four aircraft parking bays. The building features an electric operated trolley gate to segregate the operational areas of the Airports Authority of India and the Indian Air Force. Plans for a Phase 2 extension were reported in 2021, proposing to double the airport's size, increase passenger handling capacity to approximately 2,050 passengers per hour, expand the terminal area, and increase aircraft parking bays from four to 15. A new taxiway and night landing facilities are also part of these infrastructure upgrades.