Ahmedabad Airport (AMD) Flights & Flight Status

Located in Hansol, about 9 km north of Ahmedabad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) seamlessly connects the Gujarati capital as well as the nearby city of Gandhinagar with the rest of the world. It operates flights to several major international destinations, including London, Dubai and Asian cities like Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

For an airport with a single runway, AMD serves a surprising number of passengers—about 11 million per year. But what catches the eye first upon visiting this facility is the towering statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, over 5.5 metres high, after whom the airport is named. These tips will help you on your way through AMD airport.

Arriving at the airport

The airport recommends arriving 4 hours before an international departure here, though I typically arrive about 3 hours ahead since I am comfortable with the lay of the land. The airport is located just over 9 miles from the city centre, and it takes about 30 minutes to cover this distance in a direct cab.

During peak hours, this time can jump unexpectedly as traffic gets much worse than usual. If you’re travelling during rush hour, account for some buffer time.

In case of layovers at AMD on your way out of India, I recommend allowing at least 2 hours between flights. The check-in and immigration process is fairly tedious during departure, and a short layover could easily cause you to miss your connecting flight.

Check-in and security

A web check-in prior to arrival is mandatory at all Indian airports. This means that you will have to sign in to your airline website and obtain your boarding pass by entering your flight details. This boarding pass is scanned at the entrance of the airport, so you can’t even get in without it. Web check-in can only be done between 48 and 2 hours before departure.

If you have luggage to check in, you can use the self-check-in kiosks and baggage drop facilities for a quick process or take the longer route of checking them with an employee at the airline desk. If you only have cabin baggage, the web check-in is all you need—skip the airport check-in process and move straight to security and immigration on arrival.

The airport recently expanded its international departure section to better manage peak traffic periods, and that has helped with wait times and security lines overall. You can still expect people cutting lines and a hint of chaos while going through the process, though. A part of this new expansion includes an International-to-International (I-to-I) transfer area, along with additional seats that improve the otherwise bleak seating capacity at the airport.

Terminal tips

AMD operates international flights from Terminal 2 and domestic flights from Terminal 1. There is also an additional terminal that opens seasonally to help with extra traffic. The two main terminals are connected by buses that depart every few minutes, but they fill up fast and I often find it more convenient to just take the moving walkway.

This is a silent airport, and I learned the hard way that there are no flight announcements. Keep track of your flight and boarding status.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) leased the management of AMD to Adani Airports Limited (AIAL) in 2020. Since then, privately appointed staff run the affairs at the terminals from entry to boarding, while security is handled by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Some travellers report an insistence on the Gujarati language among the new staff, but I have personally never faced an issue.

Getting to and from AMD by public transportation

AMD is well served by buses. There are 2 bus services running in the city: the Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS)—and both can be booked on the spot. I prefer using the Ahmedabad BRTS-AMTS app to get tickets beforehand, though, and to verify updated bus schedules in real time.

The BRTS bus 15D connects the airport to the city via a single route. This runs between AMD and ISKCON Temple while passing stops like ISRO, Star Bazaar, Himmatlal Park, Memnagar and Valinath Chowk. I would recommend catching this one, as the vehicles are air-conditioned, pick up passengers right from T1 arrivals, and drop them directly at departures.

If the neighbourhood you are looking to visit isn’t connected by BRTS, hop on to a non-air-conditioned AMTS bus. These run every 30 minutes from the Sardar Nagar Approach station, which is about a 15-minute walk from the airport. Be careful to note the bus number you book, and identify it at the station before hopping on.

Getting to and from AMD by car

You can also rent a car from the Carzonrent kiosk in the arrivals area. Prepaid taxis are available to book at the airport, as well as from the AdaniOne website. These cost almost double what rideshares Ola and Uber charge, and may not come by instantly, though. Check fares and availability online beforehand to make the best choice.

I normally book Ola or Uber through their apps, but in case of an issue, you can also make a booking from their kiosks at the exit. I’ve found that booking a rideshare service from the airport gets me much higher fares than usual, though, probably owing to the high parking charges drivers have to pay, waiting at the airport’s designated parking zone. (You can also leave a car here.)

A good hack is to walk out of the station to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue or SN Approach bus station, and book from there. You might have to wait a while for your ride to arrive, but the fares will be much cheaper.

Drivers take payments in cash or on the local Unified Payment Interface (UPI) system. This digital system runs through mobile apps like Paytm and GPay for instant money transfers. You can only register on this for use in India if you have an Indian bank account. Alternatively, you can prepay for a taxi while booking on the app.

Things to do during a layover

There are ample facilities for diners and shoppers at AMD. After passing the security lines, you will find familiar international chains like Tim Hortons and Subway alongside Indian cafés and eateries such as Theobroma for baked goods and Wagh Bakri Tea World for simple, cheap beverages. Duty-free stores can seem unnecessarily expensive but make for a good way to pass time window-shopping during long layovers.

There is not much provision to rest at the airport, save for some recliner chairs, and I’ve hardly ever found one empty. Be ready to hunt for one of the few traditional seating options if you will need to rest. There are some massage chairs at the airport, and these can be booked on the spot for a small fee. Again, anticipate some waiting time to reap the benefits owing to large crowds.

Wi-Fi at AMD is free for up to 30 minutes, after which you can pay for an extension. It can only be accessed directly through Indian SIM cards, but the airport has several Wi-Fi coupon dispensers for non-Indian SIM holders.

Lounges

There are only 2 lounges at the airport—one at each terminal. They can get crowded, but the lounge in Terminal 2 is exclusively for international passengers, which helps to filter out some of the crowds.

You will find this one just opposite the boarding gates, so it’s convenient to settle down until right before it’s time to catch your flight. This is also a good place to get some work done, as you won’t find any tables or workstations elsewhere around the airport.

There is a business class section, but you can still expect to experience a lot of activity here, too, since most credit card, Priority Pass and airline flight reward holders can gain access to the space. Additional stragglers often sneak into this blocked off section, too.