Chandigarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate ‘Maharaja Agrasen International Airport’ in Haryana’s Hisar on 14 April and flag off its first flight—to Ayodhya.
For the time being, the airport will cater only to domestic flights with plans to upgrade it to an international airport by 2030. For now, Trial runs are complete and an operational licence secured from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ahead of the first commercial flight fromt he airport on the Delhi-Hisar-Ayodhya route.
Haryana’s Civil Aviation Minister Vipul Goel told ThePrint Friday that Modi will first visit Hisar, inaugurate the airport and flag off the first flight, and then leave for Yamunanagar, where he will lay the foundation stone of a new 800-MW unit of Deenbandhu Chaudhary Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant.
Goel said the inaugural Delhi-Hisar-Ayodhya flight, operated by Alliance Air, symbolises more than just a new route—it’s a nod to cultural connectivity, linking the national capital with Ayodhya, a city of spiritual significance. “A 48-seater aircraft will take off from Hisar on 14 April, with plans to scale up to 70-seater planes as demand grows,” he added.
Hisar airport project is a cornerstone of the central government’s ambitious Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme, aimed at making air travel accessible to the common citizen.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini described it as a fulfilment of Modi’s vision to bridge regional disparities through enhanced infrastructure. “This airport is not just about flights; it’s about connecting people, boosting the economy, and putting Hisar on the national and global map,” Saini had said at a press conference in Chandigarh last month.
The airport’s development aligns with a broader plan to transform Hisar into an integrated aviation hub.
According to Saini, an integrated aviation hub is being developed over 7,200 acres in Hisar, with 4,200 acres allocated for the airport and 3,000 acres for an integrated manufacturing cluster that will house aerospace industries, logistics parks, and food processing units.
The long-term goal is to have an international airport complete with a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, an aerospace university and industrial zones catering to defence manufacturing in Hisar by 2030, the chief minister said.
‘Investment in Haryana’s future’
Saini had said that initial routes operational from the airport would include Chandigarh, Jammu, Ahmedabad and Jaipur. On Friday, Goel clarified that the “schedule for the rest of the routes will be announced soon”. He also said that the project is being executed in three phases, at an estimated cost of Rs 5,200 crore (projected in 2021).
Phase I, which includes the construction of a terminal building at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore, is complete. Phase II, nearing completion, has seen an investment of nearly Rs 503 crore, primarily for a 3,000-metre runway capable of handling Airbus aircraft with up to 180 passengers. Phase III, set to commence by 2030, will further expand the airport’s capacity, including a second runway and international flight operations.
Haryana government partnered with Alliance Air Aviation Ltd, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 13 June, 2024, to kickstart flight operations. It also allocated budgets for additional infrastructure, such as a four-acre MRO hub and a five-acre air cargo warehouse, in fiscal 2025-26. “This is an investment in Haryana’s future,” Goel said.
Strategically located 165 km west of Delhi and 240 km from Chandigarh, Hisar sits at a geographic sweet spot—far enough from major urban centres to avoid congestion yet close enough to serve as a viable hub.
With institutions like Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology and an industrial base anchored by firms like Jindal Strips, the city is primed for expansion.
Historically, Hisar has been overlooked in favour of larger cities, but its aviation journey began in 1967 with a modest airstrip. Domestic flights briefly operated in the 1980s but were discontinued due to financial unviability. The current project, which gained momentum under former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, represents a bold reboot of that legacy.
Ticket sales for the Hisar to Ayodhya flight were opened Friday evening and all tickets were sold within two hours. The fare from Hisar to Ayodhya has been fixed at Rs 3,393, and from Ayodhya to Hisar at Rs 3,730. The fare from Hisar to Delhi is Rs 1,300.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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