UP’s Air Traffic Rises 14.6%; Ayodhya, Prayagraj And Varanasi Drive Aviation Growth

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh is witnessing unprecedented growth in its aviation sector, marking a new phase of development both on the ground and in the air. Between April and August 2025, the number of passengers using airports in the state rose by 14.6 per cent compared to the same period last year, reaching 60.02 lakh (6 million). 

During this time, the state’s share of India’s total air traffic increased to 3.52 per cent, up by 34 basis points from 2024, meaning that one in every 30 air travellers in the country now flies from UP.

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Officials attribute this progress to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “Connected UP, Prosperous UP” vision, which aims to link every district with modern transport networks to boost tourism, trade, and employment. The upcoming Noida International Airport (Jewar) is expected to further accelerate this growth, expanding connectivity for UP and neighbouring states.

From 59.97 lakh passengers in FY2016-17, the number surged to 1.42 crore (14.22 million) in FY2024-25, including 1.29 crore domestic and 13 lakh international passengers, a CAGR of 10.1 per cent. Despite the pandemic slump to 48.35 lakh in FY2020-21, UP recorded one of the fastest recoveries nationwide, doubling its passenger count within two years.

In FY2024-25 alone, air passenger traffic jumped by 25.9 per cent compared to FY2023-24. For the April-August period, domestic passengers grew by 15.7 per cent, while international travellers increased by 4.3 per cent.

Religious tourism and regional connectivity have played a major role in the surge. Between FY2023-24 and FY2024-25:

-Ayodhya Airport, dedicated to Maharshi Valmiki, witnessed a dramatic rise from 2 lakh to 11 lakh passengers, making it one of North India’s fastest-growing terminals.

-Prayagraj saw an increase from 6 lakh to 10.77 lakh passengers - a 76.4 per cent growth.

-Varanasi’s traffic jumped from 30 lakh to 40 lakh passengers - a 34.4 per cent increase.

-Gorakhpur grew by 27.6 per cent, with 8.67 lakh passengers in FY2024-25.

-Kanpur recorded 13.3 per cent growth, while Lucknow saw 4.1 per cent growth.

UP’s airports are also emerging as strong trade and export hubs. From 5,890 metric tonnes in FY2016-17, air cargo handling rose to a record 28,360 metric tonnes in FY2024-25, marking a CAGR of 19.1 per cent.

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-Lucknow Airport handled 22,099 MT,

-Varanasi registered 27.7 per cent growth, and

-Prayagraj saw a 50 per cent increase.

Between FY2023-24 and FY2024-25, total cargo grew 9.4 per cent, with notable surges in Kanpur (165 per cent) and Agra (247 per cent) during April-August 2025. The state’s share in India’s total air cargo rose to 0.79 per cent, one basis point higher than last year, reflecting UP’s growing industrial and logistics strength.

According to UP Civil Aviation Director Ishan Pratap Singh, enhanced air connectivity is creating new avenues for employment, tourism, and investment. Under CM Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, airports in Ayodhya, Kushinagar, and Jewar (Noida International Airport) are being rapidly developed. Once Jewar Airport becomes operational, Uttar Pradesh is set to emerge as North India’s largest aviation hub.