Lucknow, Oct. 29 -- Uttar Pradesh's skies are busier than ever. In just five months-from April to August-over six million passengers took to the air from airports across the state, marking a record 14.6 per cent rise over the same period last year.
The boom has positioned the state as one of India's fastest-growing aviation hubs, now contributing 3.52 per cent to the country's total air traffic.
Officials say this upward trend is not just about more flights-it is a sign of Uttar Pradesh's growing economic strength and its emergence as a major religious tourism destination. With the upcoming Noida International Airport expected to become operational soon, the state's connectivity and passenger capacity are projected to expand even further.
In 2016-17, only around 5.9 million passengers flew from Uttar Pradesh's airports. By 2024-25, that figure more than doubled to 14.2 million-comprising 12.9 million domestic and 1.3 million international travellers.
The state has maintained a compound annual growth rate of 10.1 per cent, highlighting consistent demand for air travel. After the pandemic-driven slump of 2020-21, when numbers fell to 4.8 million, Uttar Pradesh bounced back faster than most states, registering a 25.9 per cent jump in passenger volume between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.