Travellers from the National Capital Region (NCR) has got one more airport to give wings to their travel plans with the HIndon civil terminal all set to see its first flight by a full-service airline, the Air India Express, on Saturday.
The airport, located next to the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, is expected to benefit travellers from western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well, said officials from the civil aviation ministry.
Currently, Hindon has flights operated only by Bangalore-based regional carrier Star Air (India) to Kalaburagi and Hubli, three and four times a week, respectively.
The airport will witness a non-stop flight of Air India Express from Kolkata land at Hindon on Saturday morning. This flight will be a B737-8 aircraft, officials said, but the daily flights from the airport after that will be operated on A320 aircraft. “The same flight will take off for Goa from Hindon airport at 10.30am and land in Goa around 1.15pm,” said a civil aviation official, asking not to be named.
With this development, Air India Express will become the first airline in the country to operate from two airports in NCR. The airline will also operate direct flights to Bengaluru, Goa, and Kolkata from the Hindon airport, it had said in a statement earlier.
With this expansion, Air India Express will join IndiGo (which operates from both Goa’s old airport and MOPA airport) in operating from two airports within the same metropolitan region, reinforcing the benefits of multiple airports in major metros for improved connectivity, increased competition, and greater affordability for travellers.
“Hindon airport ensures quicker access to key areas in the National Capital Region. It also makes air travel more accessible to a broader population, particularly aspiring travellers from western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” the airline spokesperson said.
“Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu is expected to inaugurate the flight around 9.15am on Saturday,” a second ministry official confirmed, asking not to be named. “The minister will be accompanied by civil aviation secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam, Vipin Kumar, chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and local politicians,” the official added.
Hindon Civil Enclave, located in Ghaziabad, is operated by the AAI using the Hindon Air Force Base runway and air traffic control services are provided by the Indian Air Force. The airport was primarily built to handle domestic flights under the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).
Owing to its proximity to the national capital, Hindon civil terminal serves as a convenient alternative for scheduled and non-scheduled operators who face challenges securing slots at Delhi airport.
Covering an area of 22,050 square metres, the terminal building at Hindon has eight check-in counters and two conveyor belts. The terminal has the capacity to handle 300 passengers per hour. Currently, it also accommodates VIP and non-scheduled flight movements.
“Flights will operate daily except on Saturdays, offering an alternative to customers in NCR. More than 85% of the inaugural flight is already booked,” an airline official said.
The airline had opened bookings for the new flights with inaugural fares starting at ₹4,400 for Hindon–Kolkata, ₹4,900 for Hindon–Goa and Goa–Hindon, ₹5,500 for Kolkata–Hindon, ₹6,000 for Bengaluru–Hindon, and ₹6,200 for Hindon–Bengaluru.
NCR travellers are also expected to get another alternative as the Noida international airport in Jewar is expected to become operational by the end of April or early May, said aviation ministry officials.
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