The airport which is being built at Rs 350 crore will cater to the pilgrims coming from different parts of the country to visit Ram Mandir. Notably, the Ram Temple construction is also nearing its completion with January 22 set as the date for the consecration ceremony.
New Delhi: As the construction of Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya is nearing completion, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation granted ‘all weather conditions’ aerodrome licence in the public use category for the Ayodhya Airport, which will see its inaugural flight on December 30. While the first inaugural flight will take off from the Ram temple-themed airport on December 30, regular flights will start from January 6.
“The upcoming Ayodhya airport has been granted an Aerodrome License in public use category for all weather conditions. Sh. Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman, AAI, received the license from Sh. Vikram Dev Dutt, DG, @DGCAIndia along with the team,” reads Airport Authority of India’s (AAI) post on social media platform ‘X’.
The airport which is being built at Rs 350 crore will cater to the pilgrims coming from different parts of the country to visit Ram Mandir. Notably, the Ram Temple construction is also nearing its completion with January 22 set as the date for the consecration ceremony. Ayodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar affirmed, “Phase-I of the airport is nearly finished, including the terminal building. The airstrip and night landing facility construction are also complete. The inauguration is imminent.”
The passenger terminal building at the yet-to-be-inaugurated airport, called Maryada Purshottam Shri Ram International Airport, can accommodate up to 500 passengers during peak hours.
The airport runway is suitable for narrowbody flights such as the Airbus A320 family of aircraft and Boeing 737s. It is also equipped with an Instrument Landing System, which will allow flight operations at night and in low-visibility conditions.
The AAI said in a statement that the airport’s facade mirrors the architecture of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya. Decorative columns and local art within the terminal depict the life-cycle of Lord Rama.
The Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport at Ayodhya has an extended runway suitable for A-321/B-737-type aircraft operations.
IndiGo set to operate inaugural flight
IndiGo announced its plans to operate the inaugural flight from the national capital to Ayodhya airport on December 30, with commercial services commencing from January 6.
According to the release, Ayodhya will be the airline’s 86th domestic destination. Commercial operations for a direct flight between Delhi and Ayodhya will begin on January 6, 2024, followed by tri-weekly flights connecting Ahmedabad and Ayodhya from January 11, 2024.
“Launching flights to Ayodhya from Ahmedabad and Delhi starting 30th December 2023. Fares starting at ₹2,999. Book now,” reads the post of Indigo Airlines on X.
Launching flights to #Ayodhya from #Ahmedabad and #Delhi starting 30th December 2023. Fares starting at ₹2,999. Book now https://t.co/kQiEKSPfat. #goIndiGo #NewDestination #IndiaByIndiGo pic.twitter.com/L4p1iMHm1R
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 14, 2023
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, on December 8, said the airport at Ayodhya will be ready by the end of this month and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the airport.
