Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the integrated Terminal 3 (T3) of the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA), built at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore, in Lucknow on Sunday.

T3 will cater to domestic and international flights, with a capacity to handle 4,000 passengers during peak hours.

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The PM virtually inaugurated the new terminal from Azamgarh. Defence Minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh was the chief guest in Lucknow.

The airport administration said that the construction of the new terminal started before the onset of Covid but slowed down due to the Corona period. Initially budgeted at Rs 1,400 crore, the cost escalated to Rs 3,900 crore.

The new terminal of the Lucknow Airport is being built on the lines of Frankfurt Airport in Germany. It will look elegant. Special attention has been given to interior aesthetics and passenger facilities.

The capacity of the Amausi Airport will increase upon the completion of the new terminal T-3. This terminal is being built on 1,15,000 square metres of land. Once it is ready, it will handle the movement of 1.30 crore passengers annually. Simultaneously, this terminal will be able to handle 4,000 passengers. It will boast 14 aerobridges and 30 lifts, facilitating the operation of 3,200 domestic and 800 international flights. Multilevel parking for 1500 vehicles is also being built outside the terminal.

Keeping in view the future needs, the Amausi Airport administration has prepared the outline of another terminal. After the completion of T-3, the fourth terminal will be built, which will be even more grand and equipped with several facilities. The total cost of building this terminal will be Rs 10,400 crore. Environmental clearance has already been taken for it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged off flights from Lucknow to five cities. These include flights from Azamgarh to Lucknow and flights from Lucknow to Moradabad, Chitrakoot, Shravasti, and Aligarh. These flights are being started by FlyBig airline, the fare of which will be Rs 1,048 for a 19-seater aircraft. The schedule of flights has already been released.

Speaking on the occasion, Karan Adani, Managing Director, Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd, said, “Our vision for CCSIA is big and far-reaching. The master plan aims to expand the airport’s capacity to ultimately serve 38 million passengers annually by 2047-48. This exponential growth is a cornerstone of our strategy to support Uttar Pradesh’s aspiration to become a one-trillion-dollar economy. We are not just building infrastructure – we are creating over 13,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, thus contributing significantly to the economic advancement of the region and the state.”

The elegant terminal has state-of-the-art amenities and features for passenger convenience. While 72 check-in counters (including 17 for self-baggage drop) and 62 immigration counters (27 emigration and 35 arrival immigration counters) will ensure swift and smooth transit of passengers, modern lounges will elevate their comfort.

The newly constructed apron will increase the passenger boarding gates from 7 to 13 and passenger boarding bridges from 2 to 7.

Currently, the airport connects 24 domestic and 8 international destinations.

T3 will also simplify travel with technologies such as DigiYatra, self-service kiosks, automated tray retrieval systems, and advanced baggage screening machines.