Daijiworld Media Network – Noida
Noida, Jun 15: Commercial flight operations commenced at the newly developed Noida International Airport in Jewar on Monday, marking a major milestone in Uttar Pradesh’s aviation infrastructure.
The airport's first scheduled commercial flight, IndiGo service 6E-2278, departed from Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at 7.05 am and landed at Noida International Airport at 8.05 am, completing the airport’s inaugural commercial arrival. The aircraft later departed for Bengaluru and was scheduled to land there at 11.05 am.
The launch of commercial services marks the beginning of regular passenger operations at the airport, which is expected to emerge as a major aviation hub in the National Capital Region.
The opening day was also significant for local residents whose land was acquired for the airport project. Around 170 farmers from the region travelled to Lucknow on one of the inaugural flights.
Accompanied by Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, the farmers are scheduled to meet Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to express gratitude for the development of the airport.
Located in Gautam Buddh Nagar district within the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority area, the airport is considered one of the Uttar Pradesh government's flagship infrastructure projects. Officials believe it will significantly improve regional connectivity and strengthen the state's position as an aviation and logistics hub.
The first phase of the project has been completed with the capacity to handle approximately 12 million passengers annually. The airport currently features a runway, an integrated terminal building and an air traffic control tower.
The facility received its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on March 6, 2026.
Spread across nearly 1,334 hectares, the airport is being developed in four phases. Government projections estimate that its annual passenger capacity will rise to 30 million by 2031, 50 million by 2036 and 70 million by 2040.
Once fully developed, the airport is planned to have five runways and the capacity to handle up to 225 million passengers annually, making it one of the world's largest airport projects.
Budget carrier IndiGo has announced plans to gradually connect the airport with more than 16 destinations, including Lucknow, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Srinagar and Pantnagar.
The airport, inaugurated earlier this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to benefit travellers from western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
The state government estimates that the project will generate nearly one lakh direct and indirect jobs and attract substantial investment in logistics, warehousing, hospitality and industrial sectors.