After Air India, IndiGo begins operations from Hindon airport

Ghaziabad's Hindon Airport is witnessing a major boost in connectivity as Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu launched new IndiGo flight routes on Saturday ,as reported by the news agency ANI. IndiGo became the second airline to begin operations at Hindon Airport, after Air India Express.

With this expansion, Hindon Airport in the National Capital Region (NCR) is now directly connected to nine cities: Indore, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Varanasi, Goa, Patna, Chennai, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.

Calling it a landmark moment, Minister Kinjarapu said to ANI, “This is an (Udan) success for Hindon, Ghaziabad, western Uttar Pradesh, and the entire country. This is an Udan of the ambitions and aspirations of common Indians.”

The minister highlighted the growth of India’s civil aviation sector, noting that the country’s airline fleet, airport capacity, terminals, and the number of flyers have doubled in the past decade. “During 2024-2034, civil aviation in tier II and III cities will grow, and we will have to unlock the potential. Hindon will serve as an example,” he added.

Hindon Airport, which was developed under the UDAN scheme in 2019 at a cost of Rs 50



crore in collaboration with the Indian Air Force, is steadily emerging as an important regional hub. In 2019, annual passenger traffic at the airport will be around 8,000. That figure has now surged to over 80,000, according to Minister Kinjarapu.

The minister also referred to the government’s continued push for regional connectivity in the Union Budget 2025–26. “Inspired by the success of the previous regional connectivity scheme, a modified UDAN scheme will be launched to enhance regional connectivity to 120 new destinations and carry 4 crore passengers in the next 10 years,” he said.

Just hours before the new IndiGo flights were flagged off, Hindon Airbase welcomed its first Air India Express flight from Kolkata, officially marking the start of the airline’s operations from this strategic NCR location. Air India Express now offers direct flights to Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Goa from Hindon.

With both Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Hindon Airport (HDO) operational, flyers in the NCR region now have expanded options for domestic travel. Hindon, which traditionally served as a military base, has gradually been opened up to civilian flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.