Farmers, Who Gave Up Land, Take First Flight As Noida Airport Begins Commercial Operations | Watch

Last Updated:June 15, 2026, 10:21 IST

Commercial flight services officially commenced at Noida International Airport with an IndiGo flight arriving from Lucknow at around 7.55 am.

Passengers using the airport praised its modern facilities and easier accessibility compared with Delhi’s main airport.

Noida Airport Begins Operations: In a symbolic moment marking the start of commercial operations at Noida International Airport on Monday, 172 farmers whose land was acquired for the construction of the mega project, boarded one of the first flights from the new aviation hub.

The farmers, including 20 women, travelled from the airport in Jewar to Lucknow alongside local MLA Dhirendra Singh and officials of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), celebrating the culmination of a project built on land once used for farming.

Commercial flight services officially commenced at Noida International Airport with an IndiGo flight arriving from Lucknow at around 7.55 am. Passengers on board applauded as the aircraft touched down and the flight was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute.

The airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28, is the second international airport serving the Delhi-NCR region after Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

For many local residents, the opening carried special significance.

The inaugural outbound flight departed shortly after arrival and carried the group of farmers to Lucknow, where they are scheduled to meet Chief Minister Adityanath and express their gratitude for the project.

The airport also launched its first regular commercial service to Bengaluru on Monday. IndiGo, the launch carrier, plans to gradually expand operations to more than 16 destinations, including Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Amritsar.

Passengers using the airport praised its modern facilities and easier accessibility compared with Delhi’s main airport.

“I am very excited as I am travelling to Bengaluru for the first time from Noida Airport. I didn’t face any traffic while coming here, unlike my trips to Delhi Airport,” one passenger said.

All About Noida Airport

Built on around 1,334 hectares of land along the Yamuna Expressway corridor, Noida International Airport is expected to become a major aviation gateway for western Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region. In its first phase, it can handle up to 12 million passengers annually, with future expansion plans aimed at transforming it into one of the world’s largest airports.

The airport currently offers domestic connectivity to destinations including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Jammu and Navi Mumbai. Its first cargo flight is scheduled to operate on June 17.

Developed under a public-private partnership model by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, the facility features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft and advanced navigation systems.

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Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre…Read More

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