Air India Express (IX, Delhi International) has committed to launching international services out of Surat in Gujarat in northern India within two months of the airport getting the customs notified status, The Times of India has reported.

"Air India Express is waiting for Central Government to approve the customs notified status for Surat airport. Within one month after the customs notified status is given to the airport, Air India Express will launch a Surat to Kochi International flight and in two months from Surat to Sharjah," Surat Airport Action Committee (SAAC) President Sanjay Ezhawa has said.

In February 2018, the Indian government allocated INR10 million rupee (USD146,500) in order to equip Surat airport with the necessary immigration facilities to allow international services out of the airport.

Surat is India's largest and one of the world's leading centres for diamond processing and trade.

According to the ch-aviation capacity module, the airport currently sees limited traffic on exclusively domestic routes with 76 weekly scheduled departures, mostly operated by SpiceJet. The main destinations served out of Surat are Delhi International and Kolkata. Flights to Kochi would become Surat's second service to southern India after a route to Bangalore International.