Air India Express, the only airline operating out of two airports in the National Capital Region (NCR), announced on June 5 that it will begin flights from Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad.
The airline, a division of Air India, issued in a release that starting on August 1, this year, it will operate a total of 28 direct flights between Hindon and Bengaluru, Goa, and Kolkata.
“Besides operating over 280 flights a week from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in New Delhi, AIX (Air India Express) will be operating from Hindon Airport, ensuring enhanced connectivity to/from other cities in Western UP, Uttarakhand and Haryana,” the airline stated, noting that Hindon’s “strategic location” within the Delhi-NCR region.
Hindon Airport, located in Ghaziabad, is an important secondary airport for the NCR. Its strategic location and strong connectivity make it a perfect gateway for tier 2 and tier 3 city visitors, ensuring a smooth and efficient journey.
Also, the catchment area that the airline aims to profit from Hindon operations includes central and eastern Delhi, sections of western Uttar Pradesh, parts of Haryana, as well as parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. To the Hindon airport, Air India Express will run two daily return flights from Bengaluru and one daily return flight each from Kolkata and Goa.
Passengers can take advantage of two daily flights for convenient travel. The rates for these flights begin at Rs 5,134, and bookings are currently available on the airline’s website, mobile app, and other key booking channels.
Moreover, Air India Express intends to connect Hindon airport via one-stop itineraries to other key stations on its network, including Chennai, Kozhikode, Imphal, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kannur, Kochi, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Mumbai, Pune, and Thiruvananthapuram, in addition to providing non-stop connectivity to destinations such as Bengaluru, Goa, and Kolkata.
In addition to these local destinations, the airline plans to expand its network to include international trips to Kathmandu in Nepal and Dhaka in Bangladesh.
The declaration comes barely months before the opening of the future Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar, Western Uttar Pradesh. While the Hindon Airport, the civil enclave of an Indian Air Force installation, has been in operation for some time, it has primarily served regional carriers.