8% already booked, 15% considering: Cheaper fares boost Noida Airport's appeal

With Noida International Airport set to begin commercial operations on June 15, a growing number of Delhi-NCR travellers appear ready to give the new airport a chance.

A recent survey by Local Circles found that 8% of air travellers in the region have already booked at least one flight to or from Noida airport in the next three months, while another 15% are considering doing so.

The findings mark a significant shift from May 2026, when only 5% of surveyed travellers said they would even consider flying from Noida airport.

Lower fares narrow the gap with Delhi airport

Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar will begin operations with IndiGo as its launch carrier, offering flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru, Amritsar, Hyderabad and Jammu before expanding to more than 16 domestic destinations in the coming weeks.

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When Delhi-NCR travellers were surveyed in May, affordability emerged as the biggest concern. At the time, fares from Noida were around 25% higher than those from Delhi for the same routes. As a result, 95% of respondents said they would continue using Delhi airport, while only 5% were willing to consider Noida airport.

Since then, airlines have sharply reduced fares on several routes. IndiGo lowered its Lucknow fare from around ₹ 4,981 to ₹ 3,394, while Akasa Air cut its Bengaluru fare by roughly ₹ 2,000 and also announced fare reductions on Navi Mumbai routes.

As a result, fares from Noida airport are now comparable to, and on some routes slightly lower than, those from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Routes such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jammu and Amritsar are now priced at or below Delhi airport levels.

The pricing advantage is partly supported by Uttar Pradesh's 1% VAT on aviation turbine fuel, compared with Delhi's 25%, giving airlines lower operating costs.

Connectivity gets a boost ahead of launch

Connectivity, another major concern among travellers, has also improved ahead of the airport's opening.

The Noida Authority and the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) have rolled out a dedicated electric bus network linking different parts of the city with the airport.

In the first phase, around 30 double-decker electric buses will operate across five routes, including 10 buses dedicated to the city-to-airport corridor. The main route will connect the Sector-90 depot with Noida International Airport via Botanical Garden and the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

Other routes will connect Botanical Garden to Pari Chowk, Sector-90 to Greater Noida West via Sector-71, and Sector-62 to Sectors 98 and 96.

Bus fares have been kept between ₹10 and ₹ 50, with the full Botanical Garden-to-Jewar Airport journey costing ₹ 50.

8% have already booked flights through Noida airport

Against the backdrop of lower fares and improving connectivity, the latest survey indicates that traveller preferences may be beginning to change.

The survey received 14,932 responses from air travellers across Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.

Respondents were asked: "The new Noida airport will start functioning from June 15, 2026. For your travel in the next 3 months, where are you likely to fly out of/to?"

Among those surveyed:

• 46% said they are scheduled to fly in or out of Delhi airport for all their flights.
• 8% said they are scheduled to fly in or out of Delhi airport mostly, but have at least one flight booked through Noida airport.
• 31% said they plan to fly in or out of Delhi airport but are yet to book.
• 15% said they intend to fly in or out of Noida airport but are yet to book.
• 0% said they would fly in or out of Noida airport only.
• 0% selected "Can't Say".

Taken together, 23% of Delhi-NCR air travellers surveyed have either already booked or intend to fly through Noida airport in the next three months. This is a notable increase from the 5% recorded in May 2026, when fares from Noida were running about 25% higher than those from Delhi.

Most travellers still prefer Delhi airport

Despite the rise in interest, Delhi airport remains the preferred choice for a majority of travellers.

The survey found that 77% of respondents are still likely to use Delhi airport, citing its proximity and the convenience of an established airport supported by metro and rapid rail connectivity.

Competitive pricing driving interest

The findings suggest that competitive fares have played the biggest role in changing traveller sentiment.

The share of travellers willing to fly through Noida airport has risen from 5% in May to 23% in the latest survey, indicating that fare parity has had a stronger influence on decision-making than infrastructure improvements alone.

However, sustaining this momentum may depend on keeping fares at or below Delhi airport levels, increasing airline competition and flight frequencies, and further improving access to the airport.

Future projects such as the proposed 72-km Ghaziabad-Noida-Jewar Regional Rapid Transit System (Namo Bharat) corridor and metro extensions to the airport are expected to play a key role in making Noida airport a more convenient alternative to Delhi airport.