Andaman Airport – An Island Airport With A View

For most people traveling to Andaman, the introduction to the islands is the Port Blair International Airport. At present this is the only airport in Andaman which is shared for both civil and defense operations.

The airport is named after the national leader and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar who served a double imprisonment in the iconic British penal settlement in islands, the Cellular Jail. So, the Veer Savarkar International Airport is your gateway to the Andaman – an ideal tropical island experience. It’s the only airport in the region.

It is a small airport located about 2km south of Port Blair, the capital of Andaman. Although a designated international airport but international flights don’t land here. Most foreign tourists traveling in Andaman come via mainland India. An international section is under construction beside the airport and is likely to be available in 3 years. A second airport is coming up in Diglipur, South Andaman but it’s not official yet.

Getting to the islands is quite a unique experience for many as the geography of the region ensures an enigmatic view of the islands. The flights circle the island region giving you a good view of the islands that you will be visiting before landing there. This view might vary as it will depend on the direction of your landing. People flying from Calcutta will get a good glimpse of the deltaic sunderbans for miles followed by a vast stretch of calm blue ocean which ultimately culminates into the beautiful island views. This provides glimpses of many islands and as you lose altitude to touch down at the Andaman airport you realise the extent of the tropical forest that surrounds the area.

Finally, when you touch down at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman, the airport awaits you with innumerable possibilities.

Andaman being a fragile island with rare flora and fauna, there are certain things which you need to keep in mind while visiting. These specific sets of do’s and don’t will help you differentiate what you can do and you can’t at the airport.

Do’s

• Carry your essentials like passport, visa, ids and guard it safely.
• Make arrangements of your own reading material in case you are stuck at the airport. Unlike other airports  they don’t have bookstores here
• Unlike other airports it’s not a citadel of shopping and eating. So make sure you carry your own refreshments and do most of the shopping beforehand.
• In case you purchase any shell or coral material please carry them in your hand bag and keep the receipts intact. You need to show the receipts alongwith the material in order to establish that you have purchased them.
• As it is a tropical island which receives a fair share of rainfall all through the year, people are advised to prepare for the rain. So always wear clothes accordingly and carry umbrellas, raincoats and sunglasses.

Don’ts

• All through the airport there are big posters showing that you can’t carry shells, corals or any marine species. Please follow that and don’t carry any shells, corals, or marine creatures with you
• The airport is a defense airport as well so photography is strictly prohibited. Please keep this in mind and don’t take any photographs at the airport.
• Don’t wear any woolen clothes or cold clothes while traveling to the airport as the weather is never cold here. Even in winter it isn’t cold so no woolens are necessary.

So, there you go, your complete guide to the Veer Savarkar International Airport, in Port Blair – your first stop in Andaman and certainly your last.