The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday granted an aerodrome licence for the Ayodhya Airport, which will see its inaugural flight on December 30.
The Airports Authority of India has developed the airport at a cost of ₹350 crore, and the DGCA permit comes ahead of the Ram Mandir inauguration next month.
The passenger terminal building at the yet-to-be-inaugurated airport, called Maryada Purshottam Shri Ram International Airport, can accommodate up to 500 passengers during peak hours.
The airport runway is suitable for narrowbody flights such as the Airbus A320 family of aircraft and Boeing 737s. It is also equipped with an Instrument Landing System, which will allow flight operations at night and in low-visibility conditions.
The AAI said in a statement that the airport’s facade mirrors the architecture of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya. Decorative columns and local art within the terminal depict the life-cycle of Lord Rama.
Budget carrier IndiGo has announced that its flight from Delhi to Ayodhya which is scheduled for December 30 will be the inaugural flight to the airport. Its regular commercial flights will begin from January 6, which will be a daily service. It will also connect the pilgrim city with Ahmedabad with thrice-weekly flights from January 11.
