Noida: Noida International Airport at Jewar began commercial operations on Monday, marking a major milestone in Uttar Pradesh's aviation infrastructure. The first scheduled IndiGo flight arrived from Lucknow, officially bringing the long-awaited airport into service.

The inaugural flight departed Lucknow at 7.05 am and landed at Jewar at 8.05 am. Later in the day, the airport handled its first outbound commercial service to Bengaluru, signalling the start of regular passenger operations.

Developed as one of India's largest greenfield airports, Jewar is expected to ease congestion at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport while improving connectivity across western Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region. In its first phase, the airport can handle around 12 million passengers annually, with plans for significant expansion in the coming years.

IndiGo, the first airline to operate from the airport, will gradually connect Jewar to over a dozen domestic destinations, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Srinagar and Amritsar.

In a symbolic gesture, around 170 farmers whose land was acquired for the project were associated with the inaugural operations, recognising their contribution to the development of the airport.

The launch follows months of testing and operational readiness exercises after several delays. While flight services have begun, key connectivity projects, including metro links and enhanced public transport access, are still under development.

With commercial operations now underway, Jewar is set to emerge as a key aviation hub, boosting regional connectivity, trade, tourism and investment in Uttar Pradesh.

BI Bureau