Ludhiana gets boarding calls after 30 yrs of grounded dreams; Halwara air service booking opens; Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora to be on first flight.

Ludhiana: After a three-decade wait, the industrial heart of Punjab has finally touched the skies, with ticket bookings officially opening on Wednesday for the first commercial flights at Halwara Airport.The inaugural services, operated by Air India, are scheduled to commence May 15. The milestone has sparked a rush of bookings from local business leaders and residents, despite minor technical glitches on digital booking platforms. A look at the carrier's official schedule suggests that the service will feature two daily rotations between Ludhiana and Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.Arora books first flightSources within the Airports Authority of India (AAI) indicate that airline staff will begin occupying offices at Halwara in the coming weeks. The carrier is expected to deploy approximately 22 personnel, including ground and office staff, to manage the new terminal's operations. District officials have confirmed that demand has been immediate. Among those on the inaugural passenger manifest is Punjab industry minister, Sanjeev Arora, who booked the first flight from Delhi to Halwara alongside his wife.Teething Problems and Local DemandWhile the mood in Ludhiana is celebratory, some early travellers have flagged technical inconsistencies. Chartered accountant Ankur Mahajan noted that while he had successfully booked a seat on the first flight, the airline's website incorrectly displayed the destination as "Sahnewal Airport" — a smaller, older facility — instead of the new Halwara hub. "Third-party apps are also showing conflicting dates," Mahajan said, calling for a swift correction to avoid passenger confusion.Local industry leaders, while welcoming the Delhi link, are already looking toward the horizon. Industrialist Daleep Khanna emphasized that for Ludhiana to truly thrive as a global hub, this must be the first of many routes. "The purpose of this airport will only be fully served once we have regular flights to other major Indian metros, followed eventually by international services," Khanna said.