Routine flights at Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya will begin within a week, and according to Assistant General Manager (AGM) Vinod Kumar, the number of flights will be increased, considering the footfall.

Ayodhya: As the holy city Ayodhya gets decked up for the historic ‘Pran Pratishtha’ at the Ram Mandir on January 22, preparations are in full swing to complete all the pending work before the grand ceremony. Maharishi Valmiki International Airport is also gearing up to welcome the attendees of the consecration ceremony. Routine flights at the airport will start within a week and the number of flights will also increase, ANI reported quoting an airport official. “180 passengers are coming from Delhi and the same number of passengers are going to Delhi. It is an IndiGo flight to Delhi. After that, there are two non-scheduled flights to Delhi. There is only one commercial flight from IndiGo. Within the next week, the routine will begin. After today, there would be more flights on January 10,” ANI quoted airport Assistant General Manager (AGM), Vinod Kumar as saying.

Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey who also landed at the Ayodhya airport on Friday praised the airport’s beauty and cultural representation.

“The airport is very beautiful. It has been constructed as per India’s cultural and spiritual pride,” he said.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the international airport after inaugurating the Ayodhya Railway Station on December 30.

Captain Ashutosh Shekhar, the pilot of the inaugural IndiGo flight, welcomed all passengers on board and called it a proud moment.

“We are grateful and blessed for the opportunity given by IndiGo to command the inaugural flight to Ayodhya. This is a proud moment for us and Indigo. We hope your journey with us is safe and pleasant,” Shekhar said.
It is worth noting that that the state-of-the-art airport is developed at a cost of over Rs 1,450 crore. The Airports Authority of India undertook the development project after signing a MoU with the Uttar Pradesh Government in April last year.
With an area of 6,500 square metres, the terminal building is equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers in a year. The facade of the building showcases the temple architecture of the Ram Mandir.

The interiors of the terminal building are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Bhagwan Shri Ram.