Domestic carrier Akasa Air has commenced daily flight services to the newly-launched Noida International Airport with its inaugural flight QP2017 departing from Navi Mumbai International Airport on Tuesday morning. According to reports from PTI, the airline's inaugural flight departed from Navi Mumbai at 7.30 am while the return flight arrived at NIA at 12.30 pm. The airline will operate seven flights a week on the Navi Mumbai-Noida route, ensuring daily connectivity between the two cities. As part of its expansion strategy, Akasa Air has also launched direct flights to Bengaluru, with flight QP 1575 departing Bengaluru at 4.25 pm and arriving in Noida at 7.15 pm, while the return service QP 1576 leaves Noida at 7.55 pm and lands in Bengaluru at 11 pm. The move gives passengers across western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and neighbouring states another direct link to two of India's fastest-growing economic centres while further expanding flight options from the region's newest airport.
Commercial flight services at the Noida International Airport commenced on Monday, after a 21-month delay from the originally planned October 2024 start date. As reported by PTI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the greenfield airport in the Gautambuddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh in November 2021, with the facility inaugurated by PM Modi on March 28 this year. The Adani Group-owned Navi Mumbai International Airport, which started commercial flights in December last year, currently handles around 20,000 passengers per day with 150 departures and arrivals. The airport achieved a significant milestone on June 15 when it was named among the Prix Versailles World's Most Beautiful Airports 2026 alongside five other international airports including Guangzhou, China; Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Kandal Stueng, Cambodia; Pittsburgh, United States; and San Diego, United States. According to the NMIAL spokesperson, the airport is expecting the daily passenger footfall to surge to 50,000 per day by the year-end, and 380 air traffic movements (arrivals and departures) per day.
The airport is experiencing rapid expansion with one operational runway and one passenger terminal currently handling around 12 million passengers annually. According to the NMIAL spokesperson, by linking Navi Mumbai's emerging aviation and commercial ecosystem with Noida's fast-growing industrial and business corridor, the service is expected to support greater movement of entrepreneurs, professionals, investors and travellers between western India and northern India. Akasa Air has become the second airline after Indigo to commence services from Noida International Airport, joining Indigo's existing network connecting Noida with Lucknow, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Jammu. Under Indigo's next phase of operations from July 1, passengers will be able to fly daily from Noida to Navi Mumbai, Srinagar, Jodhpur, Dharamshala, Bhopal and Dehradun, with additional services to Jaipur, Lucknow, Pantnagar and Chandigarh. The airline is among the early operators at Noida International Airport, which is expected to emerge as a major gateway for passengers from Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and parts of Rajasthan.
Anand Srinivasan, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Akasa Air, described the commencement of daily operations from Noida as an important milestone in the airline's growth journey. "Our early presence at Noida aligns with our long-term strategy of building a strong network across key growth markets while supporting the development of modern aviation infrastructure. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Noida International Airport and delivering seamless, dependable travel experience to our customers in the Akasa Way," he added. Christoph Schnellmann, Vice Chairman of Noida International Airport, said Akasa Air's arrival represents an important step in expanding travel options for passengers and enhancing regional connectivity. "As one of the first airlines operating from the airport, Akasa Air will help create new travel opportunities and greater choice for passengers," Schnellmann added. In another significant development, Akasa Air will establish a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility within the airport premises, supporting a wide range of aircraft maintenance activities and expected to enhance operational efficiency while strengthening the airport's aviation ecosystem.
