Halwara First Flight Lands: A Long Wait Finally Over for Ludhiana
Halwara first flight: Air India’s inaugural Delhi–Ludhiana service touches down, but locals say the airport road needs as much attention as the runway
North Desk Bureau
Ludhiana, May 15
The wait stretching over years ended on Friday morning when an Air India flight from New Delhi touched down at Halwara International Airport— the first ever commercial service to land at a facility that Ludhiana has been promised, and denied, for longer than many care to remember.
Among those on board the historic flight were Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney — both now in the BJP fold, having moved away from the Aam Aadmi Party earlier this year — along with other passengers who had booked themselves onto what became an impromptu piece of aviation history.
The mood at and around the airport mixed genuine excitement with the kind of practical impatience that tends to surface when grand infrastructure finally meets ordinary life. Elaborate arrangements had been made to receive the first passengers: Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain directed the district transport department to position vehicles outside the terminal so that arrivals without private transport would not be stranded on a road that has little else going for it at dawn.
Businesses along the Raikot–Halwara airport road joined in the occasion in their own way. The Barista outlet on that stretch announced a 20 per cent discount for anyone producing their flight ticket, a gesture that neatly captured the local appetite for this moment.
Halwara first flight–some joyous, some not so
Sukhwinder Kaur, Ludhiana resident, was joyous at the occasion. “We dreamt of an airport in Ludhiana for so long. And when I heard of the first flight I went to the aiport. The first flight has landed but it still doesn’t feel real. Thank you for finally making it happen,” she said.
A passenger on the Halwara first flight, Pritpal Singh Baliawal, BJP spokesperson Punjab, wrote: “Honoured to be a passenger on the first flight from Delhi to Ludhiana via Halwara Airport!! Heartfelt thanks to the Government of India led by Narendra Modi for this historic step towards better connectivity for Punjab. Special thanks to Big Brother Ravneet Singh Bittu ji for this wonderful gift 
to Ludhiana and Punjab!! With Vikram singh Sahney MP & Rajinder Gupta ji MP.”
Not every voice in Ludhiana was celebratory in the uncomplicated way the occasion of Halwara first flight seemed to invite. Varinder Arora, a Ludhiana resident, was glad the flight existed — but pointed at the roads leading to the Airport.
“The airport is welcome, but we need roads. Look at what they built around Mohali airport — that stretch is a different world. My house is 15 to 20 minutes from here as the crow flies, but the journey takes me an hour. At that point you start wondering whether you’d be better off just driving to Mohali and catching your flight from there.” said Varinder Arora, a resident of Agar Nagar in Ludhiana.
It is a question that will sharpen with time. Halwara is positioned to serve not just Ludhiana city but a broad swath of central Punjab — Moga, Jagraon, Raikot and beyond — districts that have historically fed traffic toward Amritsar or Chandigarh airports. Whether it can hold that catchment depends as much on the approach road as on the flight schedule.
For now, the Air India service operates on the Delhi–Ludhiana sector. What routes follow, and how quickly, will determine whether Friday’s landing is a beginning or a symbol.
Ravneet Singh Bittu posted pictures on X (formerly Twitter).
A long time coming
Halwara airport has been in the works for well over a decade, its progress interrupted repeatedly by land acquisition disputes, shifting political priorities, and funding questions. Located roughly 35 km from central Ludhiana, the site was identified as a potential international hub for central Punjab — a region whose industrial and diaspora weight has always outpaced its air connectivity.
The airport was formally designated an international facility, and its terminal building has been ready for some time. The delay in starting commercial operations drew persistent criticism from business bodies, industry groups, and local elected representatives across party lines.
Friday’s inaugural service is operated by Air India on the Delhi–Ludhiana route. No announcements have yet been made about additional carriers, new destinations, or service frequency beyond the current schedule.
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