SUMMARY

Noida International Airport began commercial operations on Monday when an IndiGo flight from Lucknow landed at 7.55 am, weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the facility on March 28. The aircraft, flight 6E-2278 from Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, was given a water cannon salute on arrival, while passengers onboard applauded the landing.

The launch of services also carried symbolic importance for the region. A group of 170 farmers was scheduled to travel from the Jewar airport to Lucknow with Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh. Officials said the group includes families that gave their ancestral land for the airport project after receiving compensation, and the journey is being seen as the start of a new phase in the area's development.

The return IndiGo flight, 6E-2279, is scheduled to leave Noida airport at 6.55 pm and reach Lucknow at 8 pm. Akasa Air is also set to start daily flights from Noida to Bengaluru and Navi Mumbai from Tuesday, becoming the second airline to operate from the airport. While passenger services started on Monday, Noida International Airport Limited had earlier said the airport's first cargo flight is scheduled to depart on Wednesday on a domestic route.

Officials said the new air link is expected to improve connectivity between Noida and Lucknow, a route for which many travellers currently depend on flights through Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport or travel by road. They described it as an important step for Uttar Pradesh's aviation sector, linking the state's administrative and business centres more directly.

The airport has been developed under a public-private partnership by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG. It has a 3,900-metre runway designed for wide-body aircraft and is equipped with navigation systems including the Instrument Landing System and advanced airfield lighting. Officials had earlier said a multi-layered security arrangement was in place, with AI-based surveillance systems, nearly 1,030 CISF personnel and a dedicated police station set up by Uttar Pradesh Police.

Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh said the airport's development was possible because of the trust and cooperation of farmers who became stakeholders in the project.

Singh said, "The same hands that nurtured crops and fed the nation will now fasten their seat belts and become participants in India's new journey of progress and aspiration." He added that the moment was a matter of pride for Jewar, Gautam Buddh Nagar and the country. "The farmers and agricultural workers who spent their lives cultivating these lands will now undertake their first air journey from the international airport built upon them," he said.

With passenger services now underway, more routes planned, and the first cargo movement expected later this week, the airport has started operations with both commercial and regional significance.

Published on: Jun 15, 2026 8:16 AM IST