Indian Aviation Vision 2040 for 1bn Flyers: What are Major New Airports Coming up in India in 2025 and 2026

India’s Vision 2040 for civil aviation is full of positive facts and practical figures. The phenomenal increase in the total number of India’s inbound and outbound air travelers from 184 million in 2017-18 to 97 million in the first quarter of 2024 is the foundation of India’s aviation vision 2040 for 1.1 billion passengers. The Civil Aviation Ministry’s report states that there will be approximately 200 functional airports in India by 2040, including 50 new airports set to be built in the next 5 years. Delhi and Mumbai will have three international airports each, while other 31 Indian cities will have two operational airports each.

Travel Beats, an overseas Indian community portal by Indian Eagle Travel, curated details of India’s upcoming international airports, which are expected to cost around $40-50 billion (excluding land acquisition costs), as per India’s Vision 2040 report. Most of the new and upcoming airports in India will have international connectivity for flights to and from the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific countries.

Dholera International Airport, Gujarat

Gujarat’s third international airport is under construction in the ancient Harappan city of Dholavira. To be constructed in multiple phases with a 2025-26 deadline for its first phase completion, this greenfield airport will initially be able to handle 3.5 million passengers a year and its capacity will be gradually expanded to a whopping 50 million annual passengers in future phases. As a second gateway to Ahmedabad, Dholera International Airport will share the increasing passenger load on Ahmedabad International Airport. Moreover, the airport being developed as a part of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) will also serve the industrial region as a major cargo hub.

Location: Navagam village, Dholera, around 100 km from Ahmedabad

Visakhapatnam International Airport, Andhra Pradesh

The upcoming greenfield airport in Bhogapuram will be Andhra Pradesh’s first international airport near Visakhapatnam. Bhogapuram Airport is being developed in three phases by the prestigious GMR Group, the Delhi IGI Airport operator, Hyderabad RGI Airport, and Goa’s Mopa Airport. Also known as GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport, it had its foundation stone laid in May 2023. The first phase is scheduled for completion in the next three years at an estimated cost of INR 4,592 crore. The airport, to be developed across 2,200-acre, will handle 6 million annual passengers in its first phase, and this capacity will be increased to 18 million passengers based on for international flights to Vizag, India.

Location: Bhogapuram, approximately 45km from Visakhapatnam

Sabarimala International Airport, Kerala

Good news for Sabarimala pilgrims from across the world! The proposed Sabarimala International Airport project on 2570 acres of land at Cheruvally Estate near Erumely in Kottayam district has made significant progress. It has gained momentum with the Union Environment Ministry Panel’s approval and the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s approval in 2023. In February 2024, the Central government gave site and defense clearance for the airport construction. If things fall in place as per Kerala government’s plan, Sabarimala International Airport will be the nearest airport to Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy Temple. Currently, Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport to Sabarimala at a distance of 155 km.

Location: Erumeli, approximately 40 km from Kottayam

Navi Mumbai International Airport

The costliest and biggest of all the upcoming international airports in India is Navi Mumbai Airport, which will become operational once the first phase of construction is completed as planned by December 2024. The airport – officially named D. B. Patil International Airport – will handle 10 million passengers a year initially and more than 90 million annual passenger traffic upon completion of its all four phases by 2032. Reportedly, the NMI airport will handle 80 flights an hour and some 1900 flights in 24 hours. 

The Navi Mumbai International Airport project cost is estimated at Rs.16, 700 crore, as per the report on India’s Aviation Vision 2040. Read more about the second Mumbai international airport designed like a lotus, India’s national flower, and its topnotch facilities.

Ludhiana’s Halwara Airport, Punjab

Ludhiana, Punjab’s largest city and industrial hub, is the location of one of the upcoming international airports in India. Halwara Airport, officially named Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha International Airport, is being developed by the Punjab government and the Airports Authority of India in collaboration. Ludhiana’s Halwara Airport will be able to accommodate and handle Code 4C-type aircraft such as Boeing 737-700 and Airbus A-320.

Halwara International Airport is still under construction, though the civil terminal is complete. While clearance from the Air Force and other regulatory authorities is still pending, commercial operations are anticipated to begin in 2026. The handover of the new Ludhiana airport, Halwara to the Airports Authority of India is underway. Qatar Airways is the only major international carrier operating flights to Amritsar from USA and other countries.

Location: Halwara, nearly 40 km from Ludhiana

Second International Airport, Chennai

Like Delhi and Mumbai, Chennai is paving the way for a second international airport in line with India’s Vision 2040 for aviation. Intended to decongest Chennai International Airport (MAA), the second facility is proposed to be built across 5000 acres of land spanning 13 villages in Parandur, situated nearly 15 km from Kanchipuram. This 20,000 crore project is planned with 100 million passenger handling capacity and the tentative deadline for completion of the airport’s construction is 2028. Reportedly, Chennai’s Parandur Airport will feature two long runways that can hold huge 600-seat aircraft. An extension of Chennai Metro will connect Parandur airport with the city, and a road link with the Bangalore–Chennai Expressway is under consideration. 

Location: Parandur, nearly 70km from Chennai

Kalyani Airport, Kolkata

Among the major new airports in India, a new airport is coming up 53 km away from Kolkata and some 82 km from India’s biggest ISCKON temple to ease the burden on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport – the biggest hub for air travel in east India and also one of the 10 busiest airports in the country. Kalyani Airport will be developed across 1500 acres of land and the airport will have a capacity to handle around 8.5 million passengers annually. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) set a 2030 deadline for Kolkata’s second airport to become operational.

Jewar International Airport, Noida

A wing of India’s Vision 2040 for aviation is Noida International Airport at Jewar, which will be catering to the catchment areas of Delhi NCR. Expected to ease the air traffic load on Indira Gandhi International Airport, the new facility will increase passenger-handling capacity up to 70 million per year over the next 30 years. INR 10,000 crore is the estimated cost of constructing the airport’s first phase, which is likely to open for commercial flight operations by the end of 2024. In the first phase, Noida International Airport will handle 12 million passengers. Much like Delhi IGI Airport, Noida International Airport will have international connectivity for USA to India flights, and flights from the UK, Singapore, Australia, as well as the Middle East.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje International Airport, Pune

Pune’s second international airport at Purandar will be named after Maratha King Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje. To be built on 2400 hectares of land, the proposed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Airport may replace Lohegaon Air Force Station, the current international airport in Pune, which cannot accommodate more than 4 to 6 international flights to and from Pune due to restrictions on the air force base. Though approved in 2016, Pune’s Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Airport project didn’t take shape due to land acquisition and other issues. Its fate now rests on the upcoming general elections in India in 2024.

Location: Purandar, nearly 40 to 45 km from Pune

Warangal Airport, Telangana

Warangal’s Mamnoor Airport, once the largest airport in India before independence, is finally set for revival after 40+ years. Built by the British and the last Nizam of Hyderabad, it was a major aviation hub in South Asia. The Government of India has approved the revival and expansion plans, bypassing the 2004 exclusivity clause that restricted the construction of new airports near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad.

With ₹205 crores allocated, the airport will be upgraded to handle aircraft like Boeing 737, making it future-ready for international operations. This marks a major milestone for Telangana’s aviation sector, positioning Warangal as a key regional hub under the UDAN scheme. As Telangana’s second operational airport, it is planned to be reopened by 2030.

Location: Located around 150 km from Hyderabad City

Hisar International Airport, Haryana  

Among the new major airports in India, Hisar Airport is all set to be transformed into an international airport over 10,000 acres of land. By 2030, Hisar Airport, which is officially named Maharaja Agrasen Airport in Haryana, will be incorporated into Delhi NCR. With an investment of around ₹5,200 crore in three phases, the expansion of Hisar Airport promises to bring a lot of opportunities and growth to the region. Haryana’s Maharaja Agrasen Airport will also serve as an alternative to the country’s busiest Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi, offering more convenience for travelers in the NCR.

Location: Nearly 165km from New Delhi IGI airport.

International Greenfield Airport near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Among the upcoming international airports in India is the one to be developed near Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, where the 108-ft Statue of Oneness dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya is a must visit. 10,000 acres of land has been earmarked for the greenfield airport that aims to be as big as New Delhi International Airport. A pre-construction feasibility study by the Airports Authority of India supports the development of an international airport near Ujjain over the likelihood of expanding the existing Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore.

Kota Airport, Rajasthan 

Kota Airport, which the royal family of Kota – an erstwhile princely state in Rajasthan – had developed during the British Raj, has remained shut since 1997. The state government’s plans to develop it newly as a greenfield airport are in the works. To be developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on 1250 acres of land, the upcoming Kota Greenfield Airport will facilitate the growth of Kota City as the coaching capital of India and a trade hub. An official date is yet to be announced for the completion of Kota Airport.

Minicoy Airport in Lakshadweep

India is planning to develop a new airport on Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep, aiming to promote its potential as a leisure tourist destination. This new airport will accommodate both military and civilian aircraft, expanding the region’s connectivity and strengthening surveillance over the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Currently, Lakshadweep has an airstrip on Agatti Island, which limits the types of aircraft that can operate there. This initiative is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to promote tourism in Lakshadweep. However, there is yet no tentative date for completion of the project.

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