Lucknow: 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.