Wikipedia

Hindon Airport

Hindon Airport (IATA: HDO, ICAO: VIDX), also spelled Hindan Airport, is a commercial domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, operated by the Airports Authority of India at Hindan Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force.[4][5] It is the second commercial airport serving the National Capital Region after Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and 20 km from Connaught Place.[6]

Hindon Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic / Military
OwnerIndian Air Force
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesNational Capital Region
Uttar Pradesh
LocationGhaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Elevation AMSL700 ft / 213.4 m
Coordinates28°42′21″N 77°20′32″E / 28.7057898°N 77.3421373°E / 28.7057898; 77.3421373
Websitewww.aai.aero/en/airports/hindon
Map
HDO/VIDX is located in Uttar Pradesh
HDO/VIDX
HDO/VIDX
Location of airport in Uttar Pradesh
HDO/VIDX is located in India
HDO/VIDX
HDO/VIDX
HDO/VIDX (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 9,000 2,743 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2025 – March 2026)
Passengers1,047,163 (Increase 1248%)
Aircraft movements9,460 (Increase 207.14%)
Cargo tonnage—
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

The airport was primarily built to handle flights operating under the government's regional connectivity scheme, hence reducing the burden of regional flights from Delhi airport. This Civil Enclave, Hindon is built on 22050 sqm of land area near Sikandarpur village in Sahibabad, adjacent to the IAF airbase. The terminal building is a pre-engineered, air-conditioned structure with eight check-in counters and two conveyor belts. The terminal building has a capacity of 300 PAX per hour. The Indian Air Force is providing air traffic control. The C.E.Hindon has been developed and managed by AAI, and also caters to the needs of VIP and Non-scheduled flight movement. As C.E Hindon is located very close to the national capital Delhi, it suits many of the Scheduled and Non-Scheduled operators who could not get slot allocation at Delhi Airport.[7]

History

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Inauguration of the terminal on 8 March 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Civil aviation enclave

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In 2017, the Ministry of Civil Aviation pre-emptively took up the idea of a civil enclave at Hindon with the IAF[8] because slot constraints at the Indira Gandhi International Airport prevented the operation of flights under the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme called UDAN.[9] The Hindon civil enclave would then become the second airport in the National Capital Region for flights operating under UDAN. Commercial flight operations from an airport within 150 km of Delhi Airport were not allowed, according to an agreement signed between the government and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). Hence, the MoCA made a proposal, seeking clearance from DIAL for the temporary use of Hindon for flights awarded UDAN flights. DIAL approved the proposal in September 2017. When DIAL's on-going expansion of Delhi Airport is completed around September 2022,[10] all UDAN operations would revert to Delhi Airport.[9] The Indian Air Force permitted the Civil Aviation ministry to use the air base for civil operations in August 2017.[11][12] AAI began construction of the terminal in August 2018.[13] Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the passenger terminal built at a cost of ₹ 40 crores on 8 March 2019 just before model code of conduct.[14]

The operations from Hindon were expected to begin from 15 March. However, discussions on slot timings with the Indian Air Force regarding slots took longer than expected and the date for commencement of flight operations was pushed back to the first half of October 2019.[15] The first commercial flight from the Hindon took off on 11 October 2019. A Beechcraft King Air, operated by Heritage Aviation under the UDAN scheme, took off for Pithoragarh Airport with nine passengers on board.[16] In May 2019, it was reported that the state government and AAI were considering making the airport permanent.[17]

Present status

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  • 2026 May: The Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Airports Authority of India initiated expansion plans for the civilian terminal at Hindon Airport, including acquisition of around 6.8 acres of additional land in Sikandarpur village for terminal expansion, additional parking bays and improved passenger facilities. Around 40 farmers agreed to provide land for the project under the Land Acquisition Act, with compensation at twice the circle rate. Discussions are also underway with the Indian Air Force and AAI regarding the introduction of night landing facilities and increased operational slots.[18][19]

Civil aviation services

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Civil enclave within military airbase

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The Hindon civil enclave was built on 7.5 acres at Sikandarpur village in Sahibabad, adjacent to the existing Indian Airforce airbase.[20] The terminal was developed by AAI while the Uttar Pradesh government built the connecting roads and provides electricity for the project.[13] Air traffic control is provided by the Indian Air Force.[21][10]

Civilian air terminal

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The terminal building is a pre-engineered, air-conditioned structure with eight check-in counters. The passenger terminal covers an area of 5,425 square metres and has a capacity of serving 300 passengers an hour. The car park can accommodate 90 cars.[22]

Airlines and destinations

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Statistics

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PassengersYearPassengersAnnual passenger traffic
Operations and statistics
Year Passengers Aircraft
2019-20 7,877[25] 300[26]
2020-21 12,772[27] 332[28]
2021-22 27,794[29] 710[30]
2022-23 20,560[31] 526[32]
2023-24 3,349[33] 566[34]
2024-25 83,964[35] 3,080[36]
2025-26 11,31,127[37] 9,460[38]

Transport connectivity

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Last-mile connectivity

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Following are available to the ISBT, metro stations, railway stations, RRTS stations, and elsewhere.[citation needed]

  • Two-wheeler motorbike ride hailing services, such as Rapido, etc. for short distances.
  • Three-wheeler auto rickshaw etc for short distances.
  • Four-wheeler taxis ride hailing services, such as Uber, etc. for short and longer distances to various cities in nearby states.

Bus for long distances from ISBTs

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Following major Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBT)s have the long-distance bus services to several states:[citation needed]

Metro Rail for suburban distances

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Following metro trains serve the Core NCR (Delhi and other adjacent cities within Delhi Urban agglomeration.[citation needed]

RRTS Rapid Rail for regional NCR distances

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While metro trains serve the Core NCR, the RRTS connect the Delhi with the following other cities within the Wider NCR region:[citation needed]

Railways for long distances

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Railways connect Delhi with the whole India and to the neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.[citation needed]

Roads and highways

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Airports

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Nearest major civilian airports within the same NCR catchment area are as follows:[citation needed]

  • IGI Delhi (IATA: DEL): 33 km southwest reachable via metro (Dilshad Garden to Kashmiri Gate ISBT by Red Line, Kashmiri Gate ISBT to New Delhi by Yellow Line, New Delhi to IGI by Orange Line - total 1 hour), RRTS, rail, bus or taxi.
  • Noida International Airport (IATA: DXN): 75 km south, reachable via Yamuna Expressway, buses, rail, taxi, etc.
  • Hisar Airport (IATA: HSS): 190 km west reachable via taxi via NH-9, bus from ISBT Kashmiri Gate, and rail from Delhi.

Issues

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Poor connectivity

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Hindon Airport's growth is significantly limited by poor last-mile as well as long-distance connectivity. The lack of a co-located centralised multimodal transport hub with the integrated long distance bus terminal (ISBT), direct suburban metro and long-distance rail, etc hinders passengers. They struggle to find direct transport to places like Ghaziabad railway station, face unreliable and expensive cabs, and often rely on inconvenient e-rickshaws and auto rickshaws. Despite the nearby presence of Delhi Metro and Namo Bharat stations, the absence of direct extensions of these rail lines to Hindon Airport continues to be a problem, a situation worsened by the heavy traffic congestion on Wazirabad road. Moreover, the lack of essential direct bus and rail connections to IGI Delhi Airport, as well as the alternative airports in the NCR Plan, namely Noida and Hisar airports, further compounds the connectivity problems.[40]

Capacity constraints

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Hindon civil terminal is facing severe infrastructural limitations with growing passenger traffic due to the lack of aircraft parking bays (currently only two, which has led to flight diversions and cancellations during technical issues or inclement weather), the terminal building constraints (designed for 300 passengers per hour is now handling around 430), night landing is disallowed by IAF due to the security issues.[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  3. ↑ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "Hindon airport in Ghaziabad to be operational for UDAN flights by March - Times of India". M.timesofindia.com. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  5. ↑ "Regional flights to 4 cities including Kannur and Hubli from Hindan airbase expected by October end". Hindustan Times. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "Delhi's second airport to operate first flight from tomorrow". livemint. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  7. ↑ "Hindon Airport". Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "'Hindon airbase to be used as second airport for RCS in Delhi'". Business Standard. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  9. 1 2 "DIAL gives nod to use of Hindon airbase for RCS flights". The Times of India. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  10. 1 2 "You could board a flight from Gzb in Jan '19 - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Air Force: Can open up Hindan for flights under regional scheme". The Hindu Business Line. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  12. ↑ "Ghaziabad: Govt approves plan to operate regional flights from Hindan airbase". Hindustan Times. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Airport authority starts work on terminal facilities at Hindon airbase". Hindustan Times. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  14. ↑ "PM Narendra Modi inaugurates civil enclave at Hindon airport - The Economic Times". Economictimes.indiatimes.com. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  15. ↑ "Commercial Flights From Hindon Base Likely From Early October: Officials". NDTV. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  16. ↑ "Delhi's second airport begins operations". The Times of India. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "'Temporary' Hindon civilian airport to turn permanent? | Ghaziabad News - Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  18. ↑ "हिंडन एयरपोर्ट का होगा विस्तार, यात्रियों को मिलेगी बड़ी राहत". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "40 farmers agree to give land for Hindon terminal extension, to get 2x rate". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "Land identified for civilian flights from Hindan IAF base in Ghaziabad". The Times of India. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  21. ↑ "Delhi to get second airport at Hindon by February next year". Livemint.com. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  22. ↑ "Hindon Airport begins operation". Financial Express. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Khandelwal, Peeyush (31 March 2026). "Eight flights in Hindon civil airport's summer schedule starting April 1". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "IndiGo launches 30+ new routes from Navi Mumbai airport. Here's the full schedule". The Indian Express. Express News Service. 30 March 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data 2019-20" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data 2019-20" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data 2020-21" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  28. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data 2020-21" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data 2021-22" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data 2021-22" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data 2022-23" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data 2022-23" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  33. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data 2023-24" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  34. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data 2023-24" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data 2024-25" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data 2024-25" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "Annexure III – Passenger Data 2025-26" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data 2025-26" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  39. ↑ New Metro Line To Connect North-East Delhi With Trans Hindon Area In Ghaziabad, timesnownews.com, 11 September 2024.
  40. ↑ Last-mile connectivity issues surface as Hindon airport expands operations, Hindustan Times, 12 March 2025.
  41. ↑ Jha, A. (21 July 2025). 'Railway station feel': Must expand Hindon terminal, says Union minister, The Times of India.
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