Looks like the ambitious Noida International Airport, currently under development in Jewar, has received more than its fair share of funds from the state budget. The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated almost 50% of the civil aviation budget for land acquisition for the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar. The total civil aviation budget is INR 3,152 crore, of which the government has earmarked INR 1550 crore for land acquisition, rehabilitation, and resettlement (R&R) in Jewar for the Noida airport.

The airport is geared for commercial launch from April 2025.

Additionally, INR 50 crore is proposed to be spent on construction activities at the airport.

About 1,365 hectares have been acquired for the second phase of airport development. The first phase features a 3,900-meter-long runway, ATC, an aircraft bay, a cargo holding area, and a terminal building capable of handling 1.2 crore passengers annually. The phase I work on is almost completed. According to sources, 2,053 hectares are expected to be acquired for the third and fourth phases as part of the airport expansion plan. This includes 1,889 hectares of private farmland, while the remaining is government-owned property.

Some of the other developments around the airport include the expansion of the Varanasi, Aligarh, and Shravasti airports. The Gorakhpur airport will soon get a new terminal building. The airstrip in Lalitpur is slated to become a full-fledged airport. The budget allocation for this is INR 1100 crore.

Varanasi's LBS International Airport will get an elevated runway, beneath which NH-31 linking Lucknow to Varanasi will pass through a tunnel, marking the first such infrastructural development in the country. The Varanasi runway will be extended from 2700 meters to 4,075 meters.

Currently, the state has 16 operational airports, up from just four in 2017.

The state government has further allocated INR 90 crore for air services to ensure smooth operations and passenger experience, while an additional INR 20 crore is set aside under the Regional Connectivity Scheme Viability Gap Funding to make air travel to underserved regions more affordable and accessible.