Air India commenced operations to Ludhiana's Halwara airport on May 15, becoming the first airline to operate commercial services to the newly operational facility. According to the airline's official statement, the inaugural flight from Delhi landed at 7:05 am carrying 60 passengers, including Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and Rajya Sabha members Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Rajinder Gupta. The airline will operate two daily flights between Delhi and Ludhiana using its A320 family aircraft. As reported by PTC News, Halwara International Airport in Ludhiana has now begun operations with the arrival of the first Air India flight from Delhi, marking the resumption of air services in Punjab. Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and several BJP leaders were on board the inaugural flight from Delhi to Halwara, with Bittu thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allocating the flights and describing the launch as a "historic milestone" in a video message recorded mid-flight.
The new flights are strategically timed to provide seamless onward connectivity via Delhi to Air India's international network. As reported by the airline, guests can access destinations including London, Paris, Milan, Rome, and Birmingham using a single ticket with unified baggage allowance and through check-in of baggage. Air India guests will also benefit from same-terminal transfers at Delhi airport to connect between domestic and international flights. With Halwara International Airport now operational, it will handle daily flights as Sahnewal Airport has shut down, ensuring continued air connectivity for the region.
Air India has announced the following daily flight schedule between Delhi and Ludhiana (Halwara). According to the airline's statement, AI481 will depart from Delhi at 5:55 am and arrive in Ludhiana at 7:05 am, while AI482 will depart from Ludhiana at 7:55 am and reach Delhi at 9:10 am. Similarly, AI483 will depart Delhi at 12:55 pm and arrive in Ludhiana at 2:10 pm, and AI484 will depart Ludhiana at 2:40 pm and land in Delhi at 3:55 pm. The airport's operations resumption ensures daily flight handling capacity as Sahnewal Airport has ceased operations, providing uninterrupted air connectivity for the region.
The launch carries significant political overtones as the ruling AAP government remained largely absent from the celebrations, following the recent arrest of industry and commerce minister Sanjeev Arora by the Enforcement Directorate. Arora, who had been a vocal proponent of the Halwara project for years and was originally slated to be on the flight, remains in ED custody. Jagir Singh, the chief executive officer of the Halwara airport, explained that security concerns necessitated dropping the planned water cannon salute ceremony, as the terminal is an expansion of the existing IAF base. Instead, passengers were greeted with traditional Punjabi folk music and dance arranged by the district administration. The event's political significance was highlighted by Bittu's emphasis on the airport's potential to "boost trade and industrial growth in Punjab's manufacturing hub," crediting Prime Minister Modi for fulfilling a long-standing regional demand.
