In a major boost to domestic air travel, Akasa Air has launched direct flight services between Navi Mumbai International Airport and Noida International Airport. The new route establishes seamless air connectivity between the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the Delhi-NCR region, offering passengers another convenient travel option between two of India's most important economic hubs. The airline operated its inaugural flight, QP-2017, from Navi Mumbai International Airport to Noida International Airport on Tuesday morning.
First flight took off at 7:30 am
According to a spokesperson for Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), the first Akasa Air flight departed from Navi Mumbai at 7:30 am and successfully reached Noida. The return flight landed back in Navi Mumbai at 12:30 pm on the same day. Akasa Air will operate seven flights a week on the Navi Mumbai-Noida route, ensuring daily connectivity between the two cities.
Noida Airport expands its flight network
The launch comes shortly after commercial operations began at Noida International Airport in Jewar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the airport in November 2021 and later inaugurated the facility on March 28 this year. The airport witnessed its first commercial flight operation on June 15, when an Indigo flight departed for Lucknow, marking the official start of passenger services from the newly developed aviation hub.
Noida Airport began operations after delay
Commercial services at Noida International Airport commenced nearly 21 months later than originally planned. As per the initial schedule, the airport was expected to begin operations in October 2024.
At present, the airport has one operational runway and one passenger terminal with an annual handling capacity of around 12 million passengers. The airport is being developed in multiple phases to accommodate future growth and increasing passenger demand.
Akasa becomes second airline at Noida Airport
Akasa Air has become the second airline after Indigo to commence services from Noida International Airport. Apart from Navi Mumbai, the airline will also operate daily flights between Noida and Bengaluru, further strengthening the airport's domestic network. Meanwhile, Indigo has already launched services connecting Noida with Lucknow, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Jammu.
More cities to get connected from July 1
The airport's connectivity is set to expand significantly from July 1. Under Indigo's next phase of operations, passengers will be able to fly daily from Noida to Navi Mumbai, Srinagar, Jodhpur, Dharamshala, Bhopal and Dehradun.
The airline will also operate two daily flights each to Jaipur, Lucknow, Pantnagar and Chandigarh. Additionally, Bareilly will receive four weekly flights, while Kishangarh will be connected through three weekly services. As airlines gradually increase their presence at the airport, Noida International Airport is expected to emerge as a major aviation gateway for northern India.
Why this route matters
The direct Navi Mumbai-Noida service is expected to benefit business travellers, tourists and corporate commuters by reducing travel time and improving accessibility between western and northern India. The route also strengthens the role of both newly developed airports in easing congestion at existing metropolitan airports and supporting India's rapidly growing aviation sector.
