5 things to know about the newly inaugurated Amravati Airport in Maharashtra

On April 16, 2025, Maharashtra marked a major milestone in regional connectivity and aviation training with the inauguration of the Amravati Airport in Belora, Vidarbha. The airport was inaugurated by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Amravati’s Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. On the same day, the airport also launched its first commercial passenger flight.
On this note, have a look at five important things to know about this ambitious aviation project:

On the same day, CM Fadnavis also made a huge announcement about building a pilot training school, which will be the largest in South East Asia. It is set to open near the airport within the next six months. The facility will feature 34 training aircraft and aims to train 180 pilots annually—a major leap in India’s aviation education sector.

The airport was originally developed by the Public Works Department in 1992 but remained non-operational for decades. Its revival was spearheaded by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), which upgraded the infrastructure, extended the runway, and secured a license from the DGCA. A successful test flight from Indore on March 30 paved the way for full-fledged operations.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, present at the event, emphasized Maharashtra’s growing aviation footprint. He said that a 40% rise in air passenger traffic over the past five years and announced that India has grown from 74 airports in 2014 to 159 in 2025.

Maharashtra alone has identified 160 routes under the RCS, with 105 already operational. Naidu also revealed that India has 1,700 aircraft on order, with a need for 30,000 pilots in the coming decade—a demand the new Amravati training school will help meet.

The Amravati Airport is set to transform travel for the Western Vidarbha region, which previously had no direct air connectivity to major cities. Developed under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, this airport will link remote areas to urban hubs and facilitate economic growth, tourism, and business.

The airport is operated by Alliance Air. The first passenger service also started on the same day as the inauguration. The first flight—a direct service from Amravati to Mumbai—departed at 11:30 AM and arrived at 1:15 PM, with fares starting at just INR 2,100. The route has seen keen interest, with the inaugural flight fully booked.

Flights will now operate thrice a week—on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—bringing much-needed air connectivity to the region.