LUCKNOW: IndiGo on Monday became the first airline to commence commercial operations from the newly inaugurated Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar, marking a milestone in the expansion of aviation infrastructure in the National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh. The airline launched services with a special inaugural flight from Lucknow, while unveiling an ambitious network that will connect Noida directly with more than 16 domestic destinations. The inaugural flight, 6E 2278, departed from Lucknow at 7.05 am and landed at Noida at 8.05 am, carrying 182 passengers. Among those onboard was actor and entrepreneur Gul Panag. The new service also drew strong interest from the corporate sector, with around 80 employees of a private business group travelling on the maiden flight and taking advantage of the new direct connectivity between the two cities.Additional launch day services were also operated on Monday. Flight 6E5212 was expected to arrive in Lucknow from Noida by 9.55 am with 170 farmers who were expected to meet CM Yogi Adityanath, while Flight 6E5219 was expected to depart from Lucknow for Noida at 2.30 pm.While the Lucknow-Noida sector formally opened operations, regular scheduled services on the route will begin from July 1. According to the airline’s published schedule, IndiGo will operate two daily flights in each direction between the two cities. Flights from Noida to Lucknow will depart at 5.50 am and 3.05 pm, while return services from Lucknow to Noida will leave at 7.25 am and 9.40 pm. The Noida airport will initially be connected to major metros such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Jammu, while additional routes to Bareilly, Bhopal, Dehradun, Dharamshala, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Pantnagar and Kishangarh will be phased in from July. IndiGo said the new airport would strengthen regional connectivity and improve travel options for passengers across Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh. The airline noted that the network would also facilitate one-stop connections between several Tier-II and Tier-III cities and major metropolitan centres, creating new travel opportunities across northern and central India. Welcoming IndiGo’s first Christoph Schnellmann, Vice Chairman, NIA said, “As our launch carrier, IndiGo will 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.”
