Hindon Airport

Hindon Airport (IATA: QAH, ICAO: VIDX), also spelled Hindan Airport, is a 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.[5][6] It is the second commercial airport serving the National Capital Region after Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.[7] The airport was primarily built to handle flights operating under the Government's regional connectivity scheme and hence reducing the burden of regional flights from Delhi's main airport. In 2019, there were two airlines operating regional flights from the airport, but on 23 January 2023, both of them stopped services, resulting in the closure of the airport.[8] In September 2023, the low-cost regional carrier, FlyBig, restarted flight operations in the airport to Dehradun and Ludhiana from 6 September 2023.[9][10]

Not to be confused with Hindan Air Force Station.

Hindon Airport
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Public
OwnerIndian Air Force
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesNational Capital Region (NCR)
LocationGhaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Elevation AMSL700 ft / 213.4 m
Coordinates28.7057898°N 77.3421373°E / 28.7057898; 77.3421373
WebsiteHindon Airport
Map
QAH is located in Uttar Pradesh
QAH
QAH
Location of airport in Uttar Pradesh
QAH is located in India
QAH
QAH
QAH (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 9,000 2,743 Concrete/Asphalt
Statistics (April 2022 – March 2023)
Passengers20,560 (Decrease 26%)
Aircraft movements526 (Decrease 25.9%)
Cargo tonnage–
Source: AAI[2][3][4]

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

In 2017, the Ministry of Civil Aviation pre-emptively took up the idea of a civil enclave at Hindon with the IAF[11] because slot constraints at the Indira Gandhi International Airport prevented the operation of flights under the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme called UDAN.[12] 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 11150 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,[13] all UDAN operations would revert to Delhi Airport.[12] The Indian Air Force permitted the Civil Aviation ministry to use the air base for civil operations in August 2017.[14][15] AAI began construction of the terminal in August 2018.[16] Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the passenger terminal built at a cost of ₹ 4000000 crores on 8 March 2019 just before model code of conduct.[17]

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.[18] 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.[19] In May 2019, it was reported that the state government and AAI were considering making the airport permanent.[20]

Structure

The enclave has been built on 7.5 acres at Sikandarpur village in Sahibabad, adjacent the airbase.[21] The terminal building is a pre-engineered, air-conditioned structure with eight check-in counters. The 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] Air traffic control will be provided by the Indian Air Force.[23][13] The terminal has been developed by AAI while the Uttar Pradesh government has built the connecting roads and provides electricity for the project.[16]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
FlyBig Bathinda,[24] Dehradun, Ludhiana[25]

Access

The closest metro stations are Dilshad Garden and Major Mohit Sharma Rajendra Nagar Metro Station (Red Line), located 5 km away from the airport. Gokulpuri Metro Station situated at the Pink Line is also located close to the airport.

Statistics
Annual passenger traffic at QAH airport. See Wikidata query.

See also

References
  1. "Delhi Hindon Airport (QAH/VIDX)". Flightradar24.
  2. "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  3. "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  4. "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  5. "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.
  6. "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.
  7. "Delhi's second airport to operate first flight from tomorrow". livemint. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  8. "Airline suspends services to Karnataka, Hindon terminal has no flights now". The Times of India. 18 March 2023.
  9. Jain, Nitin (4 September 2023). "Ludhiana gets Dehradun, Delhi air link from this week". The Tribune. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  10. Jha, Abhijay (6 September 2023). "Commercial flight ops to resume from Hindon civil terminal today". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  11. "'Hindon airbase to be used as second airport for RCS in Delhi'". Business Standard. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  12. "DIAL gives nod to use of Hindon airbase for RCS flights". The Times of India. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  13. "You could board a flight from Gzb in Jan '19 - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  14. "Air Force: Can open up Hindan for flights under regional scheme". The Hindu Business Line. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  15. "Ghaziabad: Govt approves plan to operate regional flights from Hindan airbase". Hindustan Times. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  16. "Airport authority starts work on terminal facilities at Hindon airbase". Hindustan Times. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  17. "PM Narendra Modi inaugurates civil enclave at Hindon airport - The Economic Times". Economictimes.indiatimes.com. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  18. "Commercial Flights From Hindon Base Likely From Early October: Officials". NDTV. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  19. "Delhi's second airport begins operations". The Times of India. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  20. "'Temporary' Hindon civilian airport to turn permanent? | Ghaziabad News - Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  21. "Land identified for civilian flights from Hindan IAF base in Ghaziabad". The Times of India. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  22. "Hindon Airport begins operation". Financial Express. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  23. "Delhi to get second airport at Hindon by February next year". Livemint.com. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  24. Jha, Abhijay (14 September 2023). "Two routes to Punjab from Hindon terminal now, but services to Dehradun suspended". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 September 2023. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann will formally inaugurate the route on September 18, Ratan Laxmanro Ambhore, the head of ground operations at Flybig, told TOI.
  25. Jain, Nitin (4 September 2023). "Ludhiana gets Dehradun, Delhi air link from this week". The Tribune. Retrieved 6 September 2023.


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