Delhi NCR now homes to one more airport other than the former Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. Hindon Airport, Ghaziabad is the new airport which opened today. The flight to Pithoragarh from Hindon will be the first flight to take off from the airport. The flight will be from the Heritage Aviation company. The company further plans to launch flights for Dehradun, Hubli, Shimla and other popular tourist destinations.

After the inauguration of the Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 8, the port had to undergo an eight-month-long wait to host its first commercial flight passengers.

The Hindon airport in Ghaziabad, situated at 32 km distance from the capital, is around 45 minutes drive from Delhi. The airport is adjacent to the Indian Air Force’s Hindon airbase. The airport was developed as a part of the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). The scheme aimed to make flying affordable for the general public.

The Airport hosted its first flight today on 11th October 2019. The first flight was with a nine-seater plane that will take off for Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district. The flight was conducted by Heritage Aviation company.

Rohit Mathur, CEO of Heritage Aviation company said that after the launch of the first flight to Pithoragarh, the company looks forward to launching flights for other popular tourists destinations in the north, including Dehradun, Hubli, Shimla and other popular tourist destinations.

In a conversation with ANI, he said “The price has for one seat in the aircraft has been kept at Rs. 2.5 thousand only. After this, we are planning to launch flights for Dehradun, Hubli, Shimla, Faizabad, Gulbarga, Nasik and Coonoor among other popular destinations,” Mr Mathur said.

The flights are indeed low-costing and it seems to fulfil the purpose of opening this airport in the first place, that is to to make flying affordable for the general public.

Further, in a conversation with news agency ANI, Shoba Bhardwaj, Director of Hindon Airport said: “Flight connectivity from Hindon airport (Ghaziabad) to Hubballi Airport (Karnataka) will begin from November 6.”

While talking about the security arrangements at the airport premises, District Magistrate Ajay Shanker Pandey assured that the premises are equipped with skilled personnel. He said that special training has been given to policemen & security staff so that passengers do not face any inconvenience.

In a conversation with ANI, Mr Pandey said, “We have made all arrangements for the security of Hindon Airport. 55 policemen who have received special training will be deployed at the airport to ensure that there is no inconvenience to passengers on the first flight from the airport on October 11.”

The starting of flight service from Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad will greatly reduce the burden on the New Delhi airport and will also enable passengers from the western Uttar Pradesh region to save time.