Noida airport becomes operational, first flight takes off for Lucknow

The commencement of commercial operations at Noida International Airport is expected to boost regional connectivity, improve passenger convenience and support economic development

Noida International Airport on Monday received its first landing with an IndiGo flight arriving from Lucknow, officials said.

 

The event was shortly followed by the first takeoff from the greenfield project by a flight to Lucknow. The plane carried villagers from the Jewar region whose land was acquired by the state government for the first phase development of the airport.

 

IndiGo flight 6E 2278 took off from Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow, at 7.12 am and landed at Noida International Airport at 7.58 am, according to airport officials.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Commercial flight operations kick off at Noida International Airport in Jewar as its first scheduled IndiGo flight 6E-2278 arrives from Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport.  The flight will continue on its journey to Bengaluru,… pic.twitter.com/1XdU05qZ1i

— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2026

The arrival marked the beginning of flight operations at the Jewar-based airport, an ambitious project aimed at enhancing air connectivity between western Uttar Pradesh, the National Capital Region, and other parts of the country.

 

 

The first flight took off around 8.19 am and had on board, among other passengers, Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh and officials of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, including its CEO Rakesh Singh, additional CEO Shailendra Bhatia, PCS officer and former Jewar SDM Abhay Singh.

 

Officials said the new air connectivity is expected to benefit business travellers, students, professionals and other passengers by providing an additional travel option and supporting regional development.

 

The airport has been developed with a focus on creating a multimodal transport hub, with connectivity through air, road and other modes of transport, officials added.  Meanwhile, the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu interacted with farmers and their family members who will travel on the first commercial flight from Noida International Airport, highlighting their contribution to the development of the airport and the region's transformation into a major aviation hub.

The interaction took place after the formal launch of commercial flight operations at Noida International Airport. The farmers are among those whose families voluntarily contributed land for the construction of the airport.

Ram Mohan Naidu said, "The farmers who contributed land for this airport will travel on its inaugural flight to Lucknow, where a special interaction with the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been organised...This will serve as a hub for both domestic and international operations... Once completed, the Jewar Airport is set to become one of the largest airports in Asia..."

He further outlined the airport's expansion plans, saying, "We will start with a capacity of 1.2 crore passengers, and the terminal will be expanded once that capacity is saturated. Ultimately, by the fourth phase, we aim to increase the capacity to 7 crore passengers per year..."

Ram Mohan Naidu further said, "Today is a day of great joy and a historic milestone as the first flight prepares to depart from Noida International Airport. Under the guidance of Yogi Adityanath ji, we have made special arrangements for 170 farmers, who contributed their land to this project, to travel on this inaugural flight to Lucknow following a special meeting with them. At the same time, flights to Bangalore and other destinations are also ready to depart. In total, operations for four destinations are commencing today from Noida International Airport after much anticipation. Looking around, I see a great deal of emotion and excitement here today for an airport that is destined to be among the top five in our country."

About 170 farmers from the Jewar region, including 20 women, who voluntarily contributed their ancestral lands for the construction of the Noida International Airport, are set to travel on an inaugural flight to Lucknow on Monday, where they will meet Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The farmers' delegation will be led by Jewar legislator Dhirendra Singh. According to an official release, the farmers will meet CM Adityanath in Lucknow to thank him for the state's development initiatives and the establishment of the airport, which is expected to boost connectivity and economic activity in the region.

The flight marks a symbolic moment for many residents whose agricultural land was used for the airport project, highlighting the transformation of the area from a predominantly farming region into a major aviation and logistics hub.