Hindon Airport Clocks 2,998% Passenger Growth, Driven by IndiGo and Air India Express

December 29, 2025 at 06:14 PM•3 min read

AAI data shows Hindon Airport recorded a country-high 2,998% passenger growth in Nov 2025, from 3,950 to 122,381 flyers, following Air India Express and IndiGo's new routes.

Key Points

12,998% growth: Hindon airport recorded 122,381 flyers in November 2025, up from 3,950 in November 2024, marking the highest improvement nationally.
2New carriers: Air India Express and IndiGo commenced operations in March and July 2025, respectively, driving the traffic surge with 87 combined weekly departures.
3Expansion challenge: Airport Director Chilaka Mahesh confirmed the need for 34,500 sq. meters of Defence land to increase aircraft parking slots from two to six.
4Operational limit: The Indian Air Force-owned airfield restricts civilian commercial operations to sunrise-to-sunset hours daily.

The latest Air Traffic data from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) highlights Hindon airport's passenger growth as the highest in the country. The Indian Air Force-owned airfield, located in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, saw a near 3,000% increase in patronage. The Hindon 2998% growth marks a major shift for the Ghaziabad civil enclave.

In November 2025, the airport clocked 122,381 flyers. This is a dramatic rise from the 3,950 flyers recorded in November 2024. This performance is the highest improvement among all Indian airports, according to the AAI data.

Airline Expansion Drives Traffic

Multiple factors contributed to this amazing turnaround. The key driver is the commencement of operations by major commercial carriers.

Air India Express IndiGo Hindon operations started in 2025. Air India Express began services on March 1, 2025.

The carrier now offers 47 weekly departures. These flights connect Hindon to nine direct destinations. The destinations include Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Goa, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna, and Varanasi.

IndiGo commenced its operations in July 2025. The airline provides 40 weekly departures from the airport. All flights are carried out using A320 aircraft operations. IndiGo offers daily flights to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata. The airline also runs six weekly flights to Chennai and Patna.

Initially, the airport's operations were largely under the UDAAN scheme operations. Star Air was the sole operator, connecting to Nanded, Adampur, and Keshod.

Passenger Preference and Operational Challenges

Airport Director Chilaka Mahesh noted the public's preference for the airport. Travelers in the Delhi-NCR and Western UP region prefer Hindon. They avoid the heavy traffic commute to Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). The airport now manages an average of 25 daily departures and 25 daily arrivals.

Despite the surge, the Indian Air Force airfield faces restrictions. Commercial operations are only permitted from sunrise to sunset daily. This is due to existing military constraints.

Infrastructure and Future Growth

The rapid increase in traffic necessitates infrastructure upgrades. The airport requires more space for aircraft parking. Currently, there are only two parking slots available.

The AAI is seeking 34,500 square meters of Defence land.
This land is needed to increase the total aircraft parking slots expansion to six.

Talks with Defence authorities are ongoing to secure the required land. The airport began operations on October 11, 2019. It was built at a cost of Rs 46.6 crore, primarily for the regional connectivity scheme.

Key developments this year include the incorporation of the SITA network for its ticketing center. Ground transport options are also improving. Rapido and Buzzway cab operators are functioning. Ola and Uber cabs have recently been allocated dedicated parking bays. The continued growth of the Ghaziabad civil enclave is a major story in commercial aviation news. For more updates on Indian aviation, visit flying.flights.