Runways to Ruin: Why 6 of UP’s New Airports Lie Deserted

The ribbons were cut. The cameras flashed. The speeches promised a "new era of connectivity."

Today, that era is defined by locked glass doors, empty runways, and the sound of wind whistling through terminals that cost taxpayers hundreds of crores.

According to recent RTI data, six out of seven airports inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh since 2021 have quietly suspended commercial operations. Only Ayodhya remains a functional outlier. The rest—Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Kushinagar, Chitrakoot, and Shravasti—have become "ghost airports."

The Anatomy of an Empty Terminal

In the world of government PR, these airports were symbols of a "Viksit Bharat." In the world of economics, they are dead capital.

Consider the numbers:

• Kushinagar International: ₹260 crore spent. Suspended since November 2023.

• Chitrakoot: ₹146 crore spent. No commercial flights for 14 months.

• Azamgarh & Aligarh: Both upgraded with over ₹100 crore each; both currently see zero scheduled flights.

Why build a runway if no plane wants to land? Why staff a terminal if no passenger wants to fly?

The Systemic Planning Gap

The failure isn't just about a lack of planes; it’s about a lack of logic.

Most of these facilities suffer from what experts call "redundancy by proximity." Shravasti is a three-hour drive from Lucknow. Chitrakoot is barely 100km from Prayagraj. When a high-speed highway or a reliable train can get you there for a fraction of the price, the "luxury" of a 19-seater flight becomes an expensive joke.

Moreover, the UDAN scheme—the engine behind this push—relies on Viability Gap Funding (VGF). But what happens when the subsidies dry up? The airlines bail, the lights go out, and the taxpayer is left holding the bill for the electricity.

Stakeholders: Who Gains?

In the short term, the gains are political. A new airport makes for a great election-season backdrop. It creates construction contracts and land value spikes for local investors.

But the losers are clear: the local citizens who were promised jobs that never materialized, and the national exchequer that continues to pay for security and maintenance for terminals that serve only dust.

What Happens Next?

As of February 2026, no viable revival plan has been presented for these six terminals. While the government pivots toward the grand opening of Jewar International Airport, the regional "ghosts" remain in the shadows.

Is this infrastructure for the future, or just infrastructure for the cameras?

FAQ: The State of UP's Airports

1. Which airports in UP are currently non-operational? Based on recent RTI data, Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Kushinagar, Chitrakoot, and Shravasti are not running regular commercial flights.

2. Why did Kushinagar International Airport shut down? Despite its "International" tag and ₹260 crore cost, it failed to attract consistent international pilgrims and saw domestic demand vanish once subsidies ended.

3. Is Ayodhya airport still running? Yes. Ayodhya remains the only airport from the recent expansion push that maintains regular commercial operations.

4. What is the cost of these "ghost airports"? Cumulative spending on these seven projects exceeds ₹1,000 crore, including construction and ongoing maintenance.

5. Why are airlines not flying to these cities? Low passenger footfall, technical visibility issues (in Azamgarh), and the expiry of government subsidies (UDAN) make these routes economically unviable for private airlines.

6. Will these airports reopen in 2026? While technical licenses exist, there is no confirmed schedule for the resumption of commercial flights at these six locations.

The government will argue that demand takes time to build. But in a capital-starved nation, can we afford to let a thousand crores sit idle on a tarmac while schools and hospitals wait for oxygen?

Infrastructure is only as good as the lives it moves. These runways move no one.