The future of Hindon Airport, which recently commenced commercial flight operations, now remains uncertain as the operator of Delhi’s international airport, primarily owned by GMR Airports, has filed a lawsuit against the government for permitting commercial flights from the Hindon airbase.
According to a Reuters report, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of India’s busiest, handled approximately 73.6 million passengers last year but reported a $21 million loss due to increased government fees.
Meanwhile, Hindon Airport, which Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) refers to as a defence aerodrome, saw around 1,400 passengers on Sunday, according to a post on its official X account.
Commercial flights from Hindon Airport violates aviation regulations
DIAL, in its lawsuit filed on March 10, argued that allowing commercial operations at Hindon would render the Delhi airport “economically and financially unviable.” DIAL contends that the government violated aviation regulations prohibiting new airports within 150 km (90 miles) of an existing facility unless justified by passenger demand.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which operates the Hindon airport and holds a stake in DIAL with three board seats, was also accused of a conflict of interest due to access to confidential business information.
DIAL is urging the court to overturn the government’s decision, citing media reports that Air India Express began operations from Hindon Airforce Station in March.
Hindon initially functioned as an extension of Delhi’s airport from 2017 under the Indian government’s regional connectivity scheme while expansion efforts were underway at the main hub. DIAL is being represented in the case by Trilegal, an India-based law firm.