Cost-cutting: Air India Express puts Noida airport plans on hold

NEW DELHI: Noida International Airport (NIA) will begin operations next Monday with one fewer launch airline as Air India Express has indefinitely postponed its plans to have flights from there. The new airport will come to life with IndiGo flights from June 15, followed by Akasa from the next day.

IndiGo will be the biggest operator at NIA for the foreseeable future as Tata-backed AI Group’s mounting losses have led its budget airline — originally one of NIA’s three launch airlines — to stay away for now. Which means NIA will not be buzzing as much it would have liked to in the first few months.

IndiGo, which opened bookings from NIA in May, will connect 16 cities. The airline’s first commercial touchdown at NIA is scheduled for June 15 at 8.05am with 6E 2278 arriving from Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport. Akasa Air has announced daily nonstop flights to Bengaluru and Navi Mumbai from June 16.

AI Express has also pulled out of Ghaziabad’s Hindon terminal and now operates only to and from Delhi’s IGIA in NCR. “AI Group is cutting costs and may not be keen to spend on setting up facilities at an airport in an area where it is already present (Delhi IGIA). The flights cut by AI Express due to market demand and network rationalisation include those from Delhi as well. The current services can be served from IGIA,” said a source.

While NIA, like all new airports, including Goa Mopa and Navi Mumbai, will see a gradual ramp-up in flights as primarily IndiGo builds up routes and frequencies, and Akasa also doing so on a smaller scale, Hindon has seen a drastic reduction in flights this summer despite being located in the heart of a densely populated area. This has happened due to airlines reducing flights because of the West Asia war’s impact on operating costs and the defence airport’s own limitations.

Hindon last winter saw a peak of about 25 daily aircraft movements, meaning 25 arrivals and as many departures. That number kept falling and is now at just eight, with IndiGo having five arrivals and as many departures and Star Air at three. The number fell after IndiGo reduced its operations and AI Express pulled out its 10 daily flights.

While the flight reduction is part of the overall cuts we are seeing globally, Hindon poses serious operational challenges for airlines with just two parking bays for commercial aircraft and limited sunrise-to-sunset operational hours. If one aircraft gets delayed on the ground for some reason, like a suspected technical snag, then the other aircraft, which was to land and take this slot, has to be diverted to Delhi IGIA.

Everyone is hoping for better times to return for aviation that will see more people flying again, and preparations are on accordingly. Hindon is adding parking bays apart from preparing to expand its passenger terminal. NIA is opening next Monday. “We are waiting to take off once the current challenges subside. The runway is there. The intent is there,” said a senior airline official.