How to Reach Andaman: Flights & Ships to Port Blair

Short answer: nearly every traveller should fly to Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) at Sri Vijaya Puram, still widely called Port Blair. It is the gateway to the islands, and the mainland gateways sit roughly 1,200 km away, so the journey is measured in hours. The alternative is a government passenger ship from Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam that takes about 50 to 60 hours in fair weather. Choose the ship only when the multi-day sea voyage is part of the holiday you want, not as a way to save planning effort.

There is no train or road to the Andaman Islands. Every route narrows to one airport or one ship sector, and the administration's own travel pages describe only these two ways in. That makes this the first booking decision of the trip: flights decide your dates, and the ship decides your dates even more rigidly because sailings are few.

Flight, ship, booking and document information checked on 17 September 2026 against Andaman and Nicobar Tourism, the South Andaman district administration, the Directorate of Shipping Services citizen charter and the Airports Authority of India. Airline and schedule lists on some official pages are outdated, so this guide names no fixed airline and no fixed timetable.

Decide in one minute

Fly when	Take the ship when
You have a normal one or two week holiday	The sea voyage itself is part of the trip you want
You are travelling with children, older travellers or limited leave	You can give the crossing roughly three days each way, plus schedule uncertainty
You need dates that match hotel and ferry bookings	You can plan around a monthly schedule with a handful of sailings
You want the simplest document and booking path	You are comfortable booking through shipping counters or the STARS portal with more formality

If you are unsure, fly. The ship is a deliberate choice, not a default, and the rest of this page treats it that way.

Fly to Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair)

Veer Savarkar International Airport is the only airport named as the gateway on the administration's travel pages. It is a civil enclave under the control of the Indian Navy, with the passenger terminal administered by the Airports Authority of India. A new integrated terminal building was inaugurated in July 2023, so the arrival experience is newer than older travel write-ups suggest.

How far the islands sit from the mainland, as published by the Airports Authority of India: Sri Vijaya Puram is about 1,255 km from Kolkata, 1,200 km from Visakhapatnam and 1,190 km from Chennai. Every air route covers that open water, which is why there is no short or partial way in.

Which cities have flights

The current Andaman and Nicobar Tourism how-to-reach page lists regular flight connections with Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore and New Delhi. Treat this as a planning pattern, not a permanent route map: airlines add and drop sectors, and some official pages still list carriers that have since stopped operating. Check the live schedule for your dates before building the rest of the trip around a specific flight time.

When comparing options, work backwards from the trip, not forward from the cheapest fare:

Pick the mainland gateway that keeps total travel time low for your city, then price it.
Keep the first island night in Sri Vijaya Puram unless your landing time comfortably protects an onward ferry, as explained in the airport arrival guide.
Keep the final night in the city before an important flight home, so a weather-dependent sea crossing cannot break the departure. The itinerary guide builds this buffer in.

International flights

The airport carries an international designation, and foreign charter flights are permitted subject to Directorate General of Civil Aviation guidelines. Scheduled international service is newer and thinner than the name suggests: AirAsia began a Kuala Lumpur to Sri Vijaya Puram service in November 2024, announced as six flights a week. Confirm whether any international sector is actually operating for your dates instead of assuming the designation guarantees one. Almost all foreign visitors still enter through mainland India, and the passport, ID and permit guide covers what they need.

Take the government ship only for the voyage

Passenger ships between the mainland and Sri Vijaya Puram are run under the Directorate of Shipping Services, or DSS. Current official pages describe sailings only from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. There is no passenger ship from Mumbai, Goa or any west-coast port, whatever older forum posts suggest.

The South Andaman district administration describes three to four sailings a month from Kolkata and Chennai, and one sailing a month from Visakhapatnam, with the voyage taking about 50 to 60 hours in fair weather. The DSS citizen charter adds the operational reality: the mainland schedule is promulgated month by month, not published as a fixed annual timetable. A sailing pattern you read about from a previous year is a lead, not a booking.

How ship booking works

Tickets are issued across shipping counters and through the DSS STARS e-ticketing portal, subject to availability. The portal is live and lists a helpline, 1800-345-2714, for booking help.
General passengers need a photo ID at booking and boarding. Foreign nationals need a copy of their passport and the Restricted Area Permit, so the ship adds paperwork compared with flying.
Concession categories such as islanders, students, senior citizens and others require their own certificates, listed in the DSS citizen charter.

I have not published ship fares here. The current official pages I checked do not carry a reliable, dated mainland fare table, and quoting an old one would be worse than quoting none. Ask for the current fare by class when you book, and treat any third-party fare list as stale until the booking channel confirms it.

Be honest with your group about the crossing. It is a basic, multi-day government service, not a cruise. The official 50 to 60 hour figure is a fair-weather estimate, so monsoon-month travellers should read the season guide before choosing the sea route. If anyone in the group dreads rough water, that is a decision, not a detail.

Which should you choose?

Compare the real cost of each option in days, not rupees. Flying costs part of a day at each end. The ship costs roughly three days at each end before you count waiting for a suitable sailing. For a typical five to eight day Andaman plan, the ship would consume most of the holiday; the trip cost worksheet shows how to weigh time against budget without guessing.

The ship makes sense for a long, slow trip where the crossing is an experience in itself, for travellers with a specific reason to avoid flying, or for those moving heavy personal effects on the cargo and passenger services. For everyone else, book the flight early, keep the buffers described above and spend the saved days on the islands.

Common mistakes

Searching for a ferry to the Andamans. Inter-island ferries connect the islands after you arrive; the mainland ship is a different service with its own booking path. The ferry guide separates the two.
Assuming a west-coast ship exists. Official pages list Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam only.
Trusting a fixed airline or timetable list. Even official pages carry outdated carrier names. Re-check the live schedule for your dates.
Planning a same-day ship arrival and flight home. A 50 to 60 hour fair-weather crossing can slip. Do not attach a non-refundable flight to a ship arrival day.
Booking the ship before checking the monthly schedule. Sailings are few and promulgated monthly, so confirm an actual voyage date before locking hotels around it.

After you land or dock

Arrival is a separate decision chain. The airport arrival guide covers the first hours, onward jetties and same-day ferry checks. The ferry guide covers movement between islands. Documents live in the passport and permit guide, and the itinerary guide turns the arrival and departure days into a full route.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a train or road to the Andaman Islands?

No. The administration's travel pages describe only air and sea access. Mainland rail or road can only position you at a departure city such as Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam.

Can I reach the Andamans by ship from Mumbai?

No current official page lists a Mumbai, Goa or west-coast passenger sailing. The listed mainland ports are Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.

How far ahead are ship schedules published?

The DSS citizen charter says the mainland schedule is promulgated monthly. Check the current month's schedule and the STARS portal rather than relying on a repeated seasonal pattern.

Do foreign nationals need extra documents for the ship?

Yes. The DSS citizen charter requires a passport copy and Restricted Area Permit for foreign nationals on the mainland service. The permit guide explains the current rules to confirm before booking.

Sources checked

Routes, schedules, booking channels and document rules can change. These primary sources were checked on 17 September 2026: