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 172 villagers from the Jewar region whose land was acquired by the state government for the first phase development of the airport.
With the commencement of the flight operation at Jewar, Delhi NCR joins a select group of global megacities served by multiple airports.
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said what seemed impossible ten years ago was made possible by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said that if India wants to become a developed nation, it must have a strong transport network.
Modi laid the foundation stone for this airport on November 25, 2021. On March 28, 2026, he inaugurated the airport.
"We want to see Noida International Airport grow, not only as a transit hub or a hub for transportation, but as an aerotropolis. When we say aerotropolis, we want to see multiple industries come around this area and create a strong economic base, which is not only going to be catering to the country but also internationally," Naidu said.
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.
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 8.10 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.
In a statement, Aloke Singh, IndiGo's chief strategy officer, termed the opening of the airport a new chapter in India's aviation story.
"For IndiGo, the privilege of being the launch carrier at NIA is more than a commercial milestone; it is a commitment to western Uttar Pradesh, to the broader Delhi NCR, and the millions of travellers for whom this gateway opens new possibilities. We are proud to be here from day one," Singh said.
NIA vice chairman Christoph Schnellmann said IndiGo, as the launch carrier, seeks to connect NIA to key destinations across India, providing passengers with greater choice and convenience from day one.
"We look forward to working closely with IndiGo to deliver a seamless travel experience and support the continued growth of aviation, trade and tourism across the region," he said.
