Moradabad Airport

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) asked the State Government in November 2012 to hand over the airfield in Moradabad along with an additional {{cvt|300|-|350|acre|order=flip}} of land, free of cost, to the AAI in order to upgrade the airfield for commercial operations. The AAI had proposed to develop a taxi track, an apron, isolation bay, navigational aids, localiser, glide path, terminal building, Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and hangars.{{cite news |date=6 June 2013 |title=Govt sets the ball rolling on Centre's proposal to develop airports |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/govt-sets-the-ball-rolling-on-centre-s-proposal-to-develop-airports/1125655/ |access-date=10 June 2013 |publisher=The Indian Express}} The Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved to hand over the airstrip to AAI in September 2013.{{Cite news |date=September 4, 2013 |title=Shelved by Maya, Akhilesh nod to develop Meerut airstrip as airport |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/shelved-by-maya-akhilesh-nod-to-develop-meerut-airstrip-as-airport/ |work=The Indian Express}}

The Government of Uttar Pradesh then signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in February 2014 for the development of this airstrip into a domestic airport.{{cite web |date=24 February 2014 |title=MoU Signed for Development of Airports in UP |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=104187 |access-date=28 February 2014 |publisher=Press Information Bureau}} Construction of the airport began in 2015, and it was completed along with an upgraded runway, a taxi track, the approach road, and the passenger terminal in June 2022.{{Cite web |title=Moradabad Airport: हवाई पट्टी से एयरपोर्ट तक के सफर में लगे 10 साल, आखिरकार कारोबारियों की मुराद आज होगी पूरी |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/moradabad-airport-it-took-10-years-to-travel-from-airstrip-to-airport-wish-of-businessmen-was-fulfilled-2024-03-10 |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}} The contract was earlier awarded to RITES, but was cancelled and awarded to the Uttar Pradesh State Construction Corporation.{{cite news |date=12 September 2006 |title=Air strips to come up at Moradabad, Chitrakoot |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/12/stories/2006091209260500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126145215/http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/12/stories/2006091209260500.htm |archive-date=26 November 2007 |access-date=10 June 2013 |work=The Hindu}} The airport was constructed on {{cvt|52|ha}} of land at a cost of ₹28.93 crores.

Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, and UP Forest Department granted No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the airport in February 2023, and the license from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was granted in November 2023.

The completed airport was inaugurated on March 10, 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a virtual inauguration ceremony along with 4 other airports.{{Cite web |title=Moradabad Airport Inaugurated: मोदी ने किया मुरादाबाद हवाई अड्डे का लोकार्पण, मंडलवासियों के सपनों को लगे पंख |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/moradabad-airport-inaugurated-moradabad-airport-will-start-from-today-pm-will-inaugurate-2024-03-10 |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}} Other airports inaugurated during the ceremony included Azamgarh, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, and Shrawasti airports.{{Cite news |title=PM Modi inaugurates T3 of Lucknow airport along with 5 other airports in Uttar Pradesh |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/travel-news/pm-modi-inaugurates-t3-of-lucknow-airport-along-with-5-other-airports-in-uttar-pradesh/articleshow/108442417.cms |access-date=2024-03-15 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}} This increased the number of operational airports in Uttar Pradesh from 10 to 14, making it the state with most operational airports in the country.

Although the airport was inaugurated in March 2024, the flight operations couldn't be commenced from it at that time. The first flight took five more months, and after multiple delays a 19-seater passenger plane took off from the airport for Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, on 10th of August, 2024.

File:Moradabad Airport Terminal Exterior.png

The terminal building of the airport spans an area of {{cvt|1,250|m2}}. It features:

• 4 check-in counters
• Arrival and departure gates
• Sitting capacity for 50 passengers
• 2 baggage inspection (XBIS) machines
• 2 parking ways

It's set to be expanded or replaced by a larger terminal in the future development plans of the airport.

File:Arrival gate of Moradabad Airport.png

File:Side view of Moradabad Airport Terminal Building.png

File:Moradabad Airport Terminal During Inauguration.png

{{Bar chart

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As of August 2024, the airport connects Moradabad to Lucknow. First passenger flight was for Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport on a 19-seater aircraft from Flybig Airlines in August 2024.{{Cite web |title=Moradabad Airport: हवाई अड्डे का लाइसेंस होगा रीन्यू, डीजीसीए ने किया निरीक्षण, उड़ान शुरू कब होगी पता नहीं |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/airport-license-will-be-renewed-dgca-inspected-moradabad-news-c-15-1-mbd1044-380812-2024-04-13 |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}}{{Cite web |title=Moradabad News: एयरपोर्ट के विस्तार के लिए किसानों से लिए गए सहमतिपत्र |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/consent-letters-taken-from-farmers-for-expansion-of-airport-moradabad-news-c-15-1-mbd1044-435163-2024-07-09 |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}} More flights are planned for Kanpur,{{Cite web |title=कानपुर से अलीगढ़ व मुरादाबाद के लिए एक मई से मिल सकती उड़ान, पढ़ें कितना होगा किराया - Flights from Kanpur to Aligarh and Moradabad can be availed from 1 May read how much will be the fare |url=https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/kanpur-city-flights-from-kanpur-to-aligarh-and-moradabad-can-be-availed-from-1-may-read-how-much-will-be-the-fare-23672057.html |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=Jagran |language=hi}} Dehradun,{{Cite web |title=Moradabad Airport: मुरादाबाद से देहरादून के लिए रोज होगी हवाई सेवा, 1300 रुपये होगा किराया...17 को शुभारंभ |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/fare-to-dehradun-will-be-rs-1300-flight-will-be-there-every-day-moradabad-news-c-15-1-mbd1002-439395-2024-07-16 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}} and Ghaziabad (Hindon){{Cite web |title=गाजियाबाद के लोगों के लिए गुड न्‍यूज, हिंडन एयरपोर्ट से मुरादाबाद के लिए जल्द शुरू होगी फ्लाइट - Flights to Moradabad will start soon from Hindon Airport |url=https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/ghaziabad-ncr-flights-to-moradabad-will-start-soon-from-hindon-airport-23772799.html |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Jagran |language=hi}} in near future.

{{Airport-dest-list

|FlyBig|Lucknow (suspended until 15 July 2025)https://hindi.news18.com/news/uttar-pradesh/moradabad-moradabad-up-airport-all-flights-canceled-till-5th-july-know-reason-local18-9032494.html}}

The Moradabad Airport currently lacks an Instrument Landing System (ILS), which is crucial to help the flights in landing under low visibility situations.{{Cite web |last=of India |first=Airports Authority |title=AERODROME DATA MORADABAD AIRPORT, MORADABAD (VIMB) |url=https://aim-india.aai.aero/sites/default/files/aip_supplements/AIPS_2024_164.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=Moradabad News: एक घंटा हवा में रहा विमान, बिना लैंडिंग लखनऊ लौटा |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/the-plane-remained-in-the-air-for-an-hour-returned-to-lucknow-without-landing-moradabad-news-c-15-1-mbd1044-507723-2024-10-24 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}} This leads to flights being delayed or returned whenever there is low visibility due to fog or pollution.{{Cite web |title=Moradabad News: आसमान साफ न होने से साढ़े तीन घंटे देर से पहुंची फ्लाइट |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/the-flight-arrived-three-and-a-half-hours-late-due-to-lack-of-clear-sky-moradabad-news-c-15-1-mbd1044-496364-2024-10-08 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}} A dedicated fuel station is also missing at the moment and flights are refuelled using oil containers transported regularly to the airport.

The AAI plans to expand the Moradabad Airport in two phases, and it has asked for {{cvt|500|acre|order=flip}} of land to be provided free of cost for this expansion from the UP Government.{{Cite news |date=December 25, 2023 |title=Moradabad airport will be expanded in 500 acres of land |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/moradabad/story-moradabad-airport-will-be-expanded-in-500-acres-of-land-9114986.html |work=Hindustan}} In the first phase, a new terminal building with area of 10,000 square meters is planned, which will increase the peak capacity of airport to 500 passengers per day and 10,00,000 passengers per year. The runway is planned to be expanded to {{cvt|3,200|x|45|m}} from the current {{cvt|2,112|x|30|m}} to facilitate the landing of Code-C aircraft. Other planned expansions during this phase include:

• Two taxiways
• Apron and ground support equipment for parking of four A-321 aircraft
• New ATS tower
• Fire station
• A larger car parking space

In the second phase, the airport is planned to be further expanded with a terminal building of up to 20,000 square meters. During peak hours, it will be able to handle up to 1,600 passengers per day and up to 25,00,000 passengers per year.

{{Reflist}}

{{Airports in India}}

Category:Airports in Uttar Pradesh

Category:Moradabad

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