Lucknow airport expansion: Wider runway, more flights, direct US, Europe connectivity on horizon

Lucknow airport expansion

Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is set for one of its biggest makeovers, with a large-scale expansion project to increase passenger handling capacity and to modernise facilities, improve efficiency, and boost international connectivity.

As per a report by India Today, Adani Airports, which operates the airport, has announced an investment of nearly Rs 10,000 crore for the project. This money will be spent in phases, with a focus on building new infrastructure, adopting modern technology, and upgrading passenger as well as cargo facilities. Out of this amount, Rs 2,401 crore has already been spent on constructing a new terminal building and developing the landside road network.

Currently, the airport can handle around 8 million passengers annually. With the new expansion, this capacity is expected to rise to 14 million passengers a year by 2026-27, once the second phase of Terminal 3 is completed. For this phase alone, an additional investment of Rs 900 crore has been planned. Officials say these developments will make travel more comfortable, reduce waiting times, and allow the airport to serve far more people than it currently does.

A major part of the work is happening on the airside. The airport can handle 17 aircraft movements per hour currently. After the expansion, this number will increase to 24. The key to achieving this will be a new parallel taxi track, which is expected to become operational by next year. Airport authorities believe this will help reduce congestion on the runway, make flight operations smoother, and cut down delays, News18 reported.

Another significant improvement is the extension of the airport’s main runway. The current length of 2,744 meters will be stretched to 3,514 meters. For this purpose, around 58 acres of land are being acquired. Once completed, the longer runway will allow the airport to handle wide-body, ultra-long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 747-8, Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A350.

This upgrade is especially significant because it will open up direct flight options from Lucknow to destinations in Europe and the United States. At present, travellers from the city often have to make stopovers at other Indian airports for long-haul journeys. The expanded runway, which alone will cost Rs 180 crore, is expected to remove this hurdle and give Lucknow global connectivity.