Prayagraj Airport

The Air Force station is located in the Bamrauli area of Prayagraj and is the headquarters of Central Air Command. It is one of the bases of Indian Armed Forces which operates under Central Air Command of Indian Air Force. ==History==

On 18 February 1911, domestic commercial aviation began in India when Henri Piquet flew a Humber biplane carrying mail from a polo field at Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to Naini, approximately six miles away. The construction of an airport at Allahabad with a dedicated airfield was started in 1924. It was among the first four international airports of the country. It catered to international flights with direct services to London until 1932. The airfield at Bamrauli was also used as one of the five compulsory stops of the MacRobertson Trophy Air Race which took place in October 1934. From 1941 to the early 2000s, the airport did not cater to any regular commercial flight services. In the early months of 2003, Air Sahara became the first carrier to re-introduce services at the airport with connectivity to cities like Delhi and Kolkata. However, services soon became defunct following an economic crisis. In 2005, Alliance Air (a regional connectivity subsidiary under Air India) started its Allahabad-Delhi flight service on the ATR-72 fleet, which continues to be operational to this day, with minor non-operational periods in between. In 2013, SpiceJet introduced its operation in the Delhi-Allahabad sector, along with Alliance Air commencing its Allahabad-Mumbai flight, both of which were closed down due to non-availability of ILS and night landing facilities at the airport after running for a few months. Seeking limited operational and structural facilities, construction of a new civilian terminal and installation of an ILS system on the existing runway began in January 2018. The newly constructed terminal was opened to the public in January 2019 and has since served regular flight operations at Prayagraj. Prayagraj Airport has been included in India's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) regional connectivity scheme to enhance low-cost air travel. Several unserved and underserved routes from Prayagraj, including to regional cities in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand, are proposed or under consideration. Planned International Flights: While currently operating only domestic services, there have been ongoing discussions to develop the airport’s capabilities for international operations, especially to Gulf countries and Southeast Asia, targeting the large diaspora from Eastern Uttar Pradesh. == Structure ==

Runway The airport is served by a single runway 12/30, which is long and wide. Landing amenities The airport is ILS CAT-I compliant for landing during the night, bad weather and foggy conditions. The instrument landing system was installed during the 2018–2019 expansion phase, along with construction of the new terminal. Other than enhancing safety for landing flights in visibility as low as 550 meters, the installation of ILS finally allowed the airport to operate flights at night. ==New terminal==

Construction of the new terminal began in January 2018 and was completed in December 2018. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The terminal was constructed for . The building has an electric operated trolley gate on the link taxi track to segregate the operational area of Airports Authority of India and Indian Air Force. There has been use of fly ash bricks; double insulated door and the building is equipped with water harvesting and has a sewage treatment plant of its own. Phase 2 extension In February 2021, it was reported that there were plans for a complete makeover of the civil enclave of Prayagraj in Bamrauli in terms of size and facilities. The AAI proposed to double the airport's size, with the present building of the airport being expanded on both sides, keeping the terminal the same. The project involves reconfiguring the existing terminal building and partially commissioning a new terminal, increasing the combined passenger handling capacity from 350 to approximately 2,050 passengers per hour. The total terminal area will expand from 6,500 sq. mtrs. to 18,500 sq. mtrs., enhancing passenger comfort and operational efficiency. Infrastructure upgrades also include an increase in the apron area, allowing aircraft parking bays to grow from four to 15, accommodating up to 7 Airbus A320s and eight smaller aircraft. A newly constructed taxiway will further streamline ground operations, and night landing facilities will ensure round-the-clock functionality. Improvements extend beyond flight operations. The city-side infrastructure now includes an expanded car parking capacity of 600 vehicles, up from 200. ==Airlines and destinations==

{{Airport-dest-list == Statistics ==

During the Mahakumbh 2025, records were set including handling 100 flights in single day. The total passenger footfall between 17 and 26 February 2025 was 2.38 lakh while the first 36 days saw the movement of 3.20 lakh passengers. The total count during 46 days of Maha Kumbh festivity was 5,59,178 flyers. Overall, the airport became among the top 20 busiest airports in India in financial year 2024-25, with passenger traffic exceeding 1 million for the first time.. ==Customer Satisfaction==

Prayagraj Airport Jumped 25 places in this year customer satisfaction surveys from 37th to 12th. ==Magh Mela 2026 preparations==

In preparation for Magh Mela 2026, Prayagraj Airport announced plans to expand air services to accommodate an expected increase in pilgrim and tourist traffic. A new direct flight between Prayagraj and Hindon Airport (Ghaziabad) is scheduled to commence in January 2026, subject to operational clearances. ==See also==