Ayodhya Airport – Status, Master Plan & Design

Maharishi Valmiki International Airport is an operational airport in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh developed by Airports Authority of India (AAI). It was earlier known as Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport.

Ayodhya Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30, 2023. The project is a brownfield upgrade of Faizabad Airstrip spread across 821 acres of land.

Phase 1 of Ayodhya Airport was developed at a cost of over ₹1,450 crore. It’s been designed to operate small ATR-72-600 type aircraft and handle about 300 peak hour passengers. Its design takes inspiration from the under construction Shri Ram Mandir, the site of Ram Janmabhoomi.

Phase 2 of Ayodhya Airport is in the design & engineering stage. It will involve construction of a 30,000 sq. m new terminal building capable of handling 3,200 peak hour passengers (PHP), extension of runway length from 2200m to 3125m, and an expansion of the apron to handle 8 narrow-body aircrafts.

  • Area: N/A
  • Estimated Cost: 328 crore
  • Opening: December 30, 2023
  • Deadline: January 2024
  • Owner & Operator: Airports Authority of India (AAI)
  • Architect: N/A
  • Civil Construction Contractor: Unknown (terminal) and Vishal Infrastructure (2250m runway)

Location & Access

The project’s site (view on Google Maps) is located at Naka and Usru villages at the intersection of NH-27 and NH-330.

Terminal Design

via AAI

Current Status

As of December 31 2023, 100% of the terminal’s construction is complete while 100% of the runway has been built. Ayodhya Airport is expected to open and start commercial operations in January 2024, its current deadline.

Here’s a recent video by ANI on YouTube:

Page last updated: December 31, 2023. Have a question or spot an error? Let me know here.