Noida Airport gains traction ahead of launch as fare cuts boost traveller interest: Survey

Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar is set to commence commercial operations on June 15, 2026, with IndiGo as the launch carrier operating inaugural flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru, Amritsar, Hyderabad, and Jammu. The airport is expected to expand rapidly, adding more than 16 domestic destinations within weeks of launch. 

A new survey by LocalCircles suggests that traveller interest in the new airport has risen significantly in recent weeks, driven primarily by competitive airfares and improved ground connectivity. 

In May 2026, a LocalCircles poll of Delhi-NCR air travellers found limited enthusiasm for the new airport. At the time, fares from Noida were trending around 25% higher than those from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on comparable routes. As a result, 95% of respondents said they would continue flying from Delhi while only 5% expressed willingness to try Noida Airport, largely out of curiosity. 

However, the pricing landscape has changed considerably ahead of the airport's launch. Airlines have moved aggressively to make Noida Airport more competitive, with IndiGo reducing fares on the Lucknow route from around ₹4,981 to ₹3,394. Akasa Air also cut fares on the Bengaluru route by nearly ₹2,000 and announced reductions on services to Navi Mumbai. 

These fare revisions have brought ticket prices from Noida Airport broadly in line with, and in some cases below, those offered from Delhi Airport. Routes, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jammu, and Amritsar, are now priced at or below Delhi levels. 

Industry observers attribute part of this advantage to Uttar Pradesh's 1% value-added tax (VAT) on aviation turbine fuel (ATF), compared with Delhi's 25%, providing airlines operating from Noida with a significant structural cost benefit. 

Ground connectivity has also received a boost ahead of the airport's opening. The Noida Authority and the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) have launched a dedicated electric bus network linking key locations in Noida and Greater Noida to the airport. 

The first phase includes around 30 double-decker electric buses operating on five major routes, including a direct connection from the Sector-90 depot to the airport via Botanical Garden and the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. Other routes connect Botanical Garden to Pari Chowk, Sector-90 to Greater Noida West, and Sector-62 to Sectors 98 and 96. 

Bus fares have been kept affordable, ranging from ₹10 to ₹50, with the full Botanical Garden-to-Airport journey priced at ₹50. The initiative is expected to address concerns around last-mile connectivity, one of the major deterrents identified in earlier surveys. 

Against this backdrop, LocalCircles conducted a fresh pulse survey of Delhi-NCR air travellers, receiving more than 14,000 responses. The findings indicate a noticeable increase in willingness to use the new airport. 

According to the survey, 8% of respondents have already booked at least one flight to or from Noida Airport over the next three months, while another 15% said they intend to fly through the airport but have yet to make bookings. Together, this represents a potential user base of 23% of surveyed travellers, up sharply from the 5% recorded in May. 

Despite the improvement, Delhi Airport continues to dominate travel preferences. The survey found that 46% of respondents are already scheduled to fly exclusively through Delhi Airport while another 31% who have not yet booked said they still plan to use Delhi. In total, 77% of travellers remain committed to the incumbent airport, citing factors such as proximity, familiarity and established connectivity. 

The survey question, which received 14,932 responses, asked travellers where they were likely to fly from or arrive at over the next three months after Noida Airport becomes operational. While 8% indicated they had booked mostly Delhi flights but included at least one Noida flight, no respondent said they would rely exclusively on Noida Airport during the period. 

LocalCircles said the sharp increase in interest appears closely linked to fare reductions rather than infrastructure improvements alone. The findings suggest that achieving price parity with Delhi Airport has been a key factor in encouraging travellers to consider the new airport as an alternative departure and arrival hub.