Kandla is not a city that needs introduction in India’s trade history. The port it anchors — Deendayal Port, formerly Kandla Port — has been one of India’s largest cargo ports since independence and was specifically developed as a replacement gateway for Karachi after Partition. The port handles iron ore, fertilisers, petroleum, chemicals, and container cargo at a scale that keeps Kutch district plugged into global trade flows. Kandla Airport, built in the late 1950s to serve this industrial-commercial ecosystem, sits in Anjar and carries one of India’s more quietly purposeful aviation histories: DC-3s to Fokker Friendships to ATR-72s, a seven-year gap, a revival, another suspension, and a current SpiceJet service to Mumbai that runs five days a week. It is a small airport doing a specific job — and doing it for a region where the nearest alternative is Bhuj, approximately 60 km away.
Quick Overview: Kandla Airport
| Detail | Information |
| Airport Name | Kandla Airport (also Gandhidham Airport) |
| Location | Anjar, Kutch District, Gujarat |
| Serves | Kandla and Gandhidham |
| Airport Type | Public — Domestic |
| IATA Code | IXY |
| ICAO Code | VAKE |
| Operator | Airports Authority of India (AAI) |
| Address | AAI Civil Aerodrome Kandla, P.O. Anjar, Kutch – 370110 |
| Runway Length | ~4,997 ft (approx. 1,524 metres); concrete surface |
| Runway Designation | Based at Anjar; runway serves Kandla/Gandhidham catchment |
| Elevation | 96 ft / 29 m AMSL |
| Coordinates | 23°06′46″N, 70°06′01″E |
| Distance from Kandla Port | ~20 km northwest |
| Distance from Gandhidham | ~7.5 km northwest |
| Built | Late 1950s |
| Passengers (2024–25) | 48,408 (39.9% increase YoY) |
| Current Airline | SpiceJet |
| Current Route | Mumbai (5 days/week) |
Kandla Airport Location: Anjar in the Kutch Industrial Belt
Kandla Airport is located at Anjar in Kutch district — a town distinct from both Kandla and Gandhidham that sits between the two. The airport is approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Kandla port and approximately 7.5 kilometres northwest of Gandhidham city. Coordinates are 23°06′46″N, 70°06′01″E, at an elevation of 96 feet above mean sea level.
The Kutch landscape around the airport is characterised by industrial activity on a scale that surprises visitors expecting only salt flats and camels. Deendayal Port is one of India’s highest-throughput cargo ports. Mundra Port (Adani), India’s largest commercial container port, is approximately 60 kilometres southeast. The Kandla Special Economic Zone is among India’s oldest and most active SEZs. Gandhidham, a planned city built for displaced Sindhi refugees after Partition, is now a major inland trading hub — its wholesale markets for petroleum products, chemicals, and dry goods make it an important commercial node.
This industrial identity drives the airport’s passenger mix: port officials, freight forwarders, petrochemical executives, fertiliser company personnel, and government transport ministry representatives form the backbone of demand. Tourism to Kutch — the Rann, Bhuj’s heritage, Mandvi’s beach — adds a seasonal leisure layer.
Kandla Airport Code: IATA IXY and ICAO VAKE
The airport’s IATA code is IXY and its ICAO code is VAKE. IXY is the booking identifier used across all airline platforms, boarding passes, and cargo systems for the Kandla/Gandhidham catchment. VAKE places it in the VA western India block. The airport appears in airline directories under both “Kandla” and “Gandhidham” — both names refer to the same facility. The AAI officially titles the facility Kandla Airport at its Anjar address.
Kandla Airport Terminal: Compact Single-Building Facility
Kandla Airport operates from a single small terminal that has been serving the Kutch port region since the late 1950s. The terminal is compact — handling approximately 100 passengers at a time — consistent with an airport whose annual passenger throughput of 48,408 in 2024–25 works out to fewer than 140 passengers on an average day.
The facility has basic passenger infrastructure: check-in counters for the operating airline, security screening, a small waiting area, and baggage claim. Snack bars, tea counters, and small food outlets are available within or directly adjacent to the terminal — covering basic dining needs for transit passengers. Restrooms and clean drinking water are in place.
The airport has been serving Kutch’s port and industrial catchment for over six decades through multiple eras of aviation — from Indian Airlines’ Douglas DC-3 operations in 1960 through Fokker F-27 Friendship and Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft, then Vayudoot and Gujarat Airways through the 1990s. Gujarat Airways flew the Mumbai route until ceasing operations in 1999, creating a seven-year gap. Air Deccan revived commercial services in October 2006 with daily Mumbai ATR-72 operations. Subsequent airlines — IndiGo, SpiceJet, and others at various points — have kept the Mumbai route alive in successive years.
The 39.9% passenger growth in 2024–25 to 48,408 is the sharpest year-on-year increase the airport has recorded in recent years, reflecting both the resumption of consistent service and the underlying demand from Kutch’s expanding port economy.
Kandla Airport Connectivity: SpiceJet to Mumbai Five Days a Week
By Air: SpiceJet operates the Mumbai–Kandla route five days per week as of March 2026 — the sole scheduled commercial service from IXY. The Mumbai connection is the only consistent airline route from Kandla, as it has been for most of the airport’s commercial aviation history. Travellers requiring connections to other cities must route through Mumbai. Verify current schedule and operating days on SpiceJet’s platform before booking, as frequencies on thin routes like IXY are subject to change.
By Road: Gandhidham city is approximately 7.5 kilometres from the airport, a 15 to 20 minute drive. Kandla port is approximately 20 kilometres. Bhuj, the Kutch district headquarters, is approximately 60 kilometres east via NH-41 — around 60 to 75 minutes by road. Taxis and local transport are available from the airport. Anjar town is accessible by auto-rickshaw.
By Rail: Gandhidham Railway Station is approximately 9 kilometres from the airport. Gandhidham Junction is one of the better-connected rail stations in Gujarat, with trains to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and other major cities via the Western Railway zone. This makes a cab from airport to Gandhidham station the practical onward travel pattern for most passengers not using the SpiceJet Mumbai flight.
Nearest Alternative Airports: Bhuj Airport (BHJ) at approximately 60 km is the nearest alternative with scheduled commercial service. Mundra Airport (private, no commercial passenger flights) is approximately 60 km southeast.
Kandla Airport Amenities: Basic but Functional for a Port-Town Airport
Kandla Airport’s amenity profile is appropriate for a small regional facility handling under 50,000 annual passengers. The terminal has snack bars and tea counters where passengers can get light meals and refreshments before departing. Check-in counters serve SpiceJet operations. Security screening is in place. Restrooms are available. Trolleys and basic baggage handling are provided.
There is no commercial lounge, no duty-free retail, and no multi-cuisine food court. The terminal’s compact size means that everything is within short walking distance — the arrival-to-exit or check-in-to-gate experience is notably fast compared to major airports.
Ground transport options from the airport are by local taxi and auto-rickshaw. No formal pre-paid taxi desk operates, though private cabs can be arranged. For travellers heading to Kandla Port, Gandhidham markets, or the Mundra industrial zone, road is the standard onward mode.
The Gandhidham Railway Station at approximately 9 km remains the most versatile ground transport anchor for the airport’s catchment — the combination of flight into IXY and train out from Gandhidham, or vice versa, is a practical itinerary used by port-trade travellers.
FAQs: Kandla Airport
Q1. What is the IATA code for Kandla Airport?
The IATA code is IXY and the ICAO code is VAKE. The airport is located at Anjar and is also referred to as Gandhidham Airport in some booking systems and directories.
Q2. Which airline currently operates from Kandla Airport?
SpiceJet operates the Mumbai–Kandla route five days per week as of March 2026. This is the only scheduled commercial service from IXY. Confirm current schedule before booking.
Q3. How far is Kandla Airport from Gandhidham?
The airport is approximately 7.5 km northwest of Gandhidham city, around 15 to 20 minutes by road. Kandla port is approximately 20 km from the airport.
Q4. What is the nearest railway station to Kandla Airport?
Gandhidham Railway Station is approximately 9 km from the airport — the most convenient rail connection for onward travel from the Kandla/Gandhidham catchment.
Q5. Is there only one route from Kandla Airport?
As of March 2026, Mumbai is the only commercial destination served from Kandla. The Mumbai route has been the defining and often only commercial service at this airport for most of its operational history.
