India, June 15 -- Commercial operations commenced at the Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh's Jewar on Monday, with inaugural flights to and from Lucknow and Bengaluru, and a charter flight to the state capital carrying farmers, whose land was acquired for the facility expected to strengthen the aviation network in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who flagged off the charter and the first flight to Bengaluru, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of an airport, catering to a huge catchment area, has become a reality. He congratulated the farmers, who gave their land for what he described as an important and prestigious project, for making the airport a reality

Naidu sai...