Jewar, June 16 -- 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 said the first charter flight carrying farmers to Lucknow was Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's idea. "It is a symbol of respect that we want to give to the farmers so they meet the chief minister." Naidu called the Noida International Airport "another jewel" in the NCR after Delhi and Hindon (Ghaziabad) airports. He noted the new airport's huge catchment area and said it can cater to the historic city of Agra as well because of the expressway network and the proposed high-speed rail corridor. He said wherever an airport begins operations, there is a huge economic activity that builds up around it. "...it is the vision of the state government and also the government of India ...to see Noida International Airport grow as... a hub for transportation...it has to be in a true sense an Aerotropolis [subregion centered around an airport]," Naidu said. Naidu said that the government is keen to have multiple industries come around Jewar, and create a strong economic base and jobs. He added that no state has as many airports as Uttar Pradesh and that all the metro cities will have a second airport. Noida International Airport vice-chairman Christoph Schnellmann said years of planning, collaboration, and dedicated effort by tens of thousands of people have made the new airport a reality. He added that it has been built through the vision and support of the Uttar Pradesh and the Union governments, partners, stakeholders, and the local communities. In March, Modi inaugurated the 137,985 square metre Noida International Airport. It is the second international airport in the NCR and includes a cargo hub with an initial handling capacity of over 250,000 metric tonnes annually, expandable to around 1.8 million metric tonnes. The airport's initial passenger handling capacity will be 12 million passengers per annum, scalable up to 70 million. The first phase of the airport has been developed at an estimated cost of Rs.11,200 crore. It is envisioned as a multi-modal transport hub with connectivity through road, rail, metro, and regional transport systems. A multi-layered security system, AI-based surveillance, and nearly 1,030 personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force have been deployed at the airport. The Uttar Pradesh Police has also opened a dedicated police station for the airport. The launch is being hailed by locals as a long-awaited solution to travel fatigue. For residents of Noida and the surrounding areas, the new airport eliminates the need for long, arduous commutes to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Gurugram. With operations to four major destinations kicking off on day one, Noida International Airport is set to serve as a vital engine for economic growth and infrastructure development, reshaping the travel landscape for the region...