New Delhi / Bhopal June 15, 2026

A dream that began on the farmlands of Jewar finally took wing on Monday. Commercial flight operations started at the Noida International Airport, marking a major milestone in India's aviation journey. The airport welcomed its first scheduled IndiGo flight from Lucknow, bringing years of planning, construction and public participation to life. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu formally inaugurated the operations.

The event was followed by the airport's first outbound flight to Lucknow. The aircraft carried around 170 farmers from the Jewar region, including 20 women, whose land was acquired for the airport's first phase. Soon after, IndiGo flight 6E-2278 arrived from Lucknow and became the first scheduled commercial flight to land at Jewar. After a brief halt, it departed for Bengaluru. Together, the two flights marked the beginning of regular commercial operations at Noida International Airport, one of India's largest greenfield aviation projects.

For many of them, it was an emotional moment. The same land that once grew crops had now become a gateway connecting millions of travellers. Led by Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, the farmers were scheduled to meet Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and express their gratitude for the development project that has transformed the region.

Located in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, the airport is expected to emerge as a major aviation hub for the National Capital Region. It has been developed as the second international airport serving Delhi-NCR and will complement the operations of Indira Gandhi International Airport, which handles one of the country's busiest passenger traffic networks.

The first phase of the project has been built at an investment of nearly Rs 11,200 crore under the Public-Private Partnership model. The airport features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling large wide-body aircraft. It is equipped with modern navigation systems, including Instrument Landing System (ILS) technology and advanced airfield lighting, allowing safe operations even during poor weather and low visibility conditions. The airport's first terminal is designed to handle around 12 million passengers annually. Future expansion plans aim to make it one of India's largest airports by area and capacity.

IndiGo has announced plans to gradually connect Jewar with more than 16 cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Srinagar and other major destinations. This is expected to improve connectivity across northern India while reducing pressure on Delhi's existing airport infrastructure. For residents of western Uttar Pradesh, the airport is expected to bring new jobs, investments, logistics hubs and business opportunities. Aviation experts believe the project could become a major growth engine for the region in the coming years.

As the first commercial aircraft rolled onto the runway, Jewar moved from being a construction site to becoming one of India's newest gateways to the world.