IndiGo Expands to Nine Cities from Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad Under UDAN Scheme

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu launched new IndiGo routes from Hindon Airport, connecting NCR to 9 cities. This marks the expansion of UDAN, India’s regional air connectivity scheme, with major growth projections.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has launched new flight routes from Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad, to be operated by IndiGo.

After Air India Express, IndiGo becomes the second airline to mark its presence in Hindon Airport. Four months ago, Air India Express started its operations here.

Hindon Airport in NCR will now be connected with nine Indian cities -- Bengaluru, Kolkata, Varanasi, Goa, Patna, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Indore through IndiGo services.

UDAN scheme fuels regional growth

"This is an (Udan) success of, Hindon, Ghaziabad, western Uttar Pradesh, and entire country. This is an Udan of the ambitions and aspirations of common Indians," the Union minister said from the Hindon Airport.

India’s civil aviation sector sees major expansion

Airlines fleet, airports, terminal capacity, and flyers have doubled in India over the past decade, the minister said, reflecting the growth India's civil aviation sector has made.

"During 2024-2034, civil aviation in tier II and III cities will grow and we will have to unlock the potential. Hindon will serve as an example," the minister said.

NCR flyers to benefit from dual-airport access

With operations from both Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Hindon Airport (HDO), flyers based out of the National Capital Region will be served by these two airports.

Hindon Airport's development under UDAN

The Hindon Airport's development work was taken up in 2019 under UDAN at Rs 50 crore, in collaboration with Indian Air Force, Minister Naidu said in his address today.

Minister, during his speech, said the annual flyers from Hindon Airport was about 8,000 in 2019, which has risen to upwards of 80,000 now.

Budget 2025-26 boost for regional aviation

Union Budget 2025-26 has put an additional thrust on the ever-growing domestic civil aviation sector.

Inspired by the success of the previous regional connectivity scheme, a modified UDAN scheme will be launched to enhance regional connectivity to 120 new destinations and carry 4 crore passengers in the next 10 years.

UDAN’s national impact since 2017

The UDAN scheme, launched in April 2017, focuses on improving unserved air routes in underserved regions.

India's aviation industry has experienced significant growth in the past decade, and the number of operational airports in the country has since doubled.

The government aims to make India a global aviation hub by 2030.