The Ayodhya-Ahmedabad flight service, inaugurated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on January 22 ahead of the Ram Mandir inauguration, heralds a broader initiative for Uttar Pradesh, as announced by the minister. Uttar Pradesh is poised to receive five new airports within the next month, a development that will elevate the total number of airports in the state to 19. This expansion follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inauguration of the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya on December 30.
The upcoming airports, set to be inaugurated in the next month, include Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, and Shravasti. Scindia shared this information during the virtual flagging-off ceremony for the Ayodhya to Ahmedabad flight, an event attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Tourism and Culture Minister Jayveer Singh, and Lok Sabha members Lallu Singh and Kirit Premjibhai Solanki. IndiGo, commencing services between Ayodhya and Delhi from January 11, will also facilitate flights between Ayodhya and Ahmedabad three times a week, with Mumbai-Ayodhya flights scheduled to begin on January 15.
Highlighting the growth prospects for the Ayodhya airport, Scindia discussed plans for its expansion, including an extended runway to accommodate larger aircraft and to facilitate international flights. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed expectations of approximately 100 chartered flights at the Ayodhya airport for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22. He emphasized the positive impact of enhanced air services on tourism and business, citing a notable 30 percent growth in air passengers in the state, reaching 96.02 lakh in the last financial year.
Ayodhya, now a sought-after destination, has experienced improved connectivity through road, rail, and air, aligning with the vision outlined by the Prime Minister. The state government's allocation of 821 acres for the airport, coupled with the efficient development by the civil aviation ministry, has resulted in the creation of a world-class facility within the stipulated time.
The Ayodhya airport, initially constructed within a 6,500 square meter area with a peak-hour passenger capacity of 600, is poised for significant expansion. The second phase of development will witness an increase in passenger capacity to 3,000, accompanied by the extension of the runway from 2,200 to 3,700 meters, catering to larger aircraft and international flights.
Scindia underscored the substantial growth in air connectivity across Uttar Pradesh over the past nine years, citing a notable increase in weekly flight movements from 700 in 2014 to the current figure of 1,654.
