Ludhiana, May 15 -- After years of delays, Ludhiana's long-awaited Halwara civil terminal is finally set to receive its first commercial flight on Friday.

According to the official schedule released on Thursday, an Air India Airbus A320 aircraft from Delhi will become the first commercial flight to land at the newly operational Halwara airport.

"The flight will be accorded a traditional water cannon salute upon arrival, with fire tenders stationed on both sides spraying massive arcs of water over the plane as it taxis on the runway," the officials said. The ceremonial salute, a symbolic welcome in the aviation industry, is reserved for milestone occasions such as inaugural flights, retirement journeys of pilots, or the launch of new air...