Airlines set to soar to Lord Ram’s enchanting Ayodhya, India

Published on January 18, 2024

The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony has garnered significant attention, with over 7,000 guests invited by the temple trust.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced that five new airports will be operational in Uttar Pradesh by February, increasing the state’s total to 19 airports.

The upcoming airports in Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, and Shravasti are nearing completion. IndiGo is set to start its Ayodhya-Delhi services on January 11 and will also introduce thrice-weekly flights between Ayodhya and Ahmedabad, with the Mumbai-Ayodhya service commencing on January 15.

Notable invitees include cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, film star Amitabh Bachchan, and leading businessmen Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.

Plans for the second phase include expanding passenger capacity to 3,000 and extending the runway from 2,200 meters to 3,700 meters, accommodating larger and international flights. Minister Scindia highlighted the remarkable increase in air connectivity in Uttar Pradesh, with weekly flight movements rising from 700 in 2014 to 1,654 currently.

The list of flights that will be flying from major cities to Lord Rama’s Ayodhya is listed as follows:

Mumbai to Ayodhya

IndiGo – Flight No. 6E 5378

Delhi to Ayodhya

IndiGo – Flight No. 6E 2128

Air India Express – IX 1590

Ahmedabad to Ayodhya

IndiGo – Flight No. 6E 6375

Kolkata to Ayodhya

Air India Express – IX 765

Bengaluru to Ayodhya

Air India Express – IX 764

Following the upcoming ‘Pran Prathishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Temple, Akasa Air has declared the launch of its one-stop flights from Pune via Delhi to Ayodhya, starting on February 15. This decision comes in the wake of similar announcements by IndiGo and Air India Express regarding flights to Ayodhya. The new morning service by Akasa Air will depart from Pune at 8:50 a.m. and arrive in Ayodhya at 12:55 pm, including a stop in Delhi.

SpiceJet is also entering the scene with its plan to initiate non-stop flights that will connect Ayodhya to three major Indian cities—Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai—starting February 1, 2024. The airline intends to use its 189-seater Boeing 737 aircraft for these routes. Previously, SpiceJet had planned a special flight from Delhi to Ayodhya on January 21. Additionally, IndiGo announced its direct flights between Mumbai and Ayodhya beginning January 15.

In preparation for an expected influx of pilgrims to the Ram Temple, the Uttar Pradesh government is introducing helicopter services from six districts—Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Mathura, and Agra – by the end of the month. These services will complement the aerial tours of Ayodhya and the Ram Temple, starting from a helipad near the Saryu River’s tourism guesthouse.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath disclosed plans for over 100 chartered flights to arrive at Ayodhya airport for the temple’s consecration ceremony on January 22. This follows the recent inauguration of the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30. The airport is set to enhance connectivity with several tier-two cities.