Srinagar Airport expansion misses earlier deadline

Srinagar, Sep 9: The planned expansion of Srinagar International Airport has crossed an earlier official completion deadline without the major construction work being completed, while the latest project timeline places completion as far out as 2031.
A Civil Aviation Ministry annual report for 2022-23 had listed the construction of a new integrated terminal building at Srinagar Airport at an estimated cost of Rs 1,400 crore, with the project shown as being in the planning stage and the Project Management Consultancy in progress. The report had fixed August 31, 2026 as the expected date of completion.
The project has since been substantially revised. On February 24, 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved development of a new Civil Enclave at Srinagar International Airport at an estimated cost of Rs 1,677 crore. The approved project covers 73.18 acres and envisages a 71,500-square-metre terminal, including the existing structure, with capacity to handle 2,900 passengers during peak hours and 10 million passengers annually.
However, the latest procurement record indicates that the project has not yet reached the main construction phase. Airports Authority of India floated a Project Management Consultancy tender for construction of the new integrated terminal and allied works, including apron extension, with a ballpark project cost of Rs 937.92 crore. The tender document provides a 61-month period covering pre-award activities, construction supervision and the subsequent defect-liability period.
The first PMC tender was subsequently cancelled, and AAI has issued a second call for the same consultancy. The second-call tender is currently open, with September 21, 2026 fixed as the bid submission deadline.
Meanwhile, details submitted by the Jammu and Kashmir administration to the Ministry of Home Affairs put the completion target for the Rs 1,667-crore project at 2031, with an estimated implementation period of 48 months. The project was described as being in the tendering stage in those details.
A separate National Infrastructure Pipeline record, last updated on June 3, 2026, had placed the project completion date at July 31, 2029 and described its status as “DPR/Feasibility Study”.
The varying timelines reflect changes in the project’s scope and planning. The current CCEA-approved scheme is aimed at substantially increasing Srinagar Airport’s capacity as passenger traffic continues to grow. The airport handled approximately 44.7 lakh passengers during 2024-25, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The latest procurement position means the immediate milestone for the Rs 1,677-crore expansion is not completion of construction but selection of the Project Management Consultant, followed by the subsequent process for execution of the main works. [KNT]