India Targets October 2026 Opening for Dholera Airport

Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced on July 14 that construction of the Dholera International Airport in Gujarat is approximately 80 percent complete. The central government intends to operationalize the facility by September or October 2026, provided it receives the necessary final construction and regulatory approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Designed as an Aerotropolis, the project integrates a passenger terminal capable of handling 20 lakh annual passengers and a cargo terminal. The facility is linked to a semiconductor cluster, a greenfield smart city, and a manufacturing hub, and will serve as a multi-modal hub connected via a high-speed rail corridor and a six-lane National Highway.

As part of the site's industrial expansion, Minister Naidu announced a memorandum of understanding between Embraer of Brazil and Adani Aviation Systems. The agreement seeks to establish a civilian aircraft assembly line at the site, with the first aircraft expected to be produced by 2028.