India's 10 longest runways

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata: 3,627 mt

Located at Dum Dum, about 18 km from Kolkata, the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport has a runway of 3,627 mt length. The airport was earlier called Dum Dum airport before it was rechristened after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

The airport has three terminals: domestic, international and cargo.

Under the Airports Authority of India's plan to upgrade existing airports in India, the Kolkata airport too will undergo major modernisation.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad: 3,599 mt

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad is one of the nation's busiest airports. It has a runway measuring 3,600 mt in length.

The Ahmedabad airport is well connected by air with the rest of the country.

Flights operate between Ahmedabad and other major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa and Jaipur. It is also connected to Europe and the Untied States, apart from Sharjah, Kuwait, Muscat, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, through an aircraft change at either Mumbai or Delhi.

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai: 3,445 mt

The airport at Mumbai is the busiest in India and is the country's largest and, perhaps, most important airport. The runway at the airport is 3,445 mt long.

The domestic and international air terminals at the Mumbai airport were earlier called Santacruz Airport and Sahar International Airport. However, after the modernization of the airport, which has turned into a world-class facility, it has been named Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

A consortium led by GVK Group and comprising Airports Company South Africa and Bidvest was awarded the mandate to modernise the airport.

Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL), a joint venture company owned by the GVK led consortium (74%) and Airports Authority of India (26%) was formed in March 2006 to manage and develop CSIA.

The modernisation of CSIA assumes great significance given Mumbai's status as India's financial capital and its aspirations to become a key business centre in Asia.

In 2007, CSIA catered to 25.2 million passengers and handled around 521,932 tonnes of cargo.

MIAL's vision is to make CSIA a truly world-class airport and equip it with the best possible facilities, infrastructure and management.

With the upgradation of the infrastructure, CSIA will be able to cater to passenger traffic of 40 million passengers per year and handle cargo traffic of 1 million tonnes per year.

Cochin International Airport, Kochi: 3,400 mt

Cochin International Airport is one of the India's first airports that boast of world-class facilities and conveniences. The airport is located at Nedumbassery, 30 km from Kochi. The runway here is 3,400 mt long.

It is the first airport in India to have been built with private participation outside the ambit of Airports Authority of India.

The major stake holders in the project include the Kerala government, Non-Resident Indians, public, financial institutions, and others.

The airport has for long been considered one of the best in India.

Raja Sansi International Airport, Amrtisar: 3,289 mt

The international airport at Amritsar is named Raja Sansi International Airport. Its runway is 3,289 mt in length,

The airport has been recently renovated and has swanky terminals and passenger facilities. The airport also has book stall, snack bars, money change counters, free baggage trolleys, free wheel chairs, free medical facility, et cetera.