JEWAR, June 16 -- Sarita Parmar, who works in Navi Mumbai, had to take a 1,300-km train journey whenever she travelled to western Uttar Pradesh to visit her family in Mathura. On Tuesday, she was among the 185 passengers who boarded Akasa Air's inaugural flight connecting India's two greenfield airports-Noida International Airport (NIA) and Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

"Taking a flight from Noida would save much of my time and also make me land closer to home in Navi Mumbai," she told HT on board the near-housefull flight.

Tuesday's flight was the first direct air link between NIA and the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which started operations in December 2025. "The route is expected to cater to business and leis...