Halwara Airport to open with water cannon salute for maiden flight

May 14, 2026

Ludhiana: The long-awaited launch of commercial flight operations at Halwara Airport will begin on a ceremonial note on Friday morning when the first Air India flight from Delhi will be welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute.

The aviation tradition, in which fire tenders spray arches of water over an arriving aircraft, will mark the official commencement of services at the newly operational civil terminal near Ludhiana. Passengers on the inaugural flight will also be greeted with roses and refreshments as Punjab’s much-delayed airport project finally takes off after years of waiting.

As per reports, an Air India A320 aircraft carrying around 160 passengers will touch down at Halwara airport at 7.05 am and the aircraft will receive a traditional “water cannon salute” on arrival.

The airport project, developed through the expansion of the Indian Air Force base at Halwara, had remained stuck for nearly three decades before finally reaching operational readiness. Though the Punjab Cabinet approved the project in December 2018, construction and clearances continued to face repeated delays over the past eight years.

Former AAP Rajya Sabha MP and later Punjab cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora is widely credited with playing a significant role in pushing the project forward. During his tenure in Parliament and later in the state government, Arora coordinated with central ministries, aviation authorities and airline operators to speed up approvals and operational clearances required for the airport. He had repeatedly maintained that the AAP government’s efforts helped convert the long-pending proposal into reality.

However, celebrations within the ruling AAP appeared subdued as Arora, who had reportedly booked tickets for the inaugural flight along with his wife, is presently in Enforcement Directorate custody in an alleged money laundering case.

Meanwhile, the BJP is preparing to turn the first flight into a political show of strength ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu is expected to be among the passengers travelling from Delhi to Halwara. He also indicated that several Rajya Sabha members who recently joined the BJP from AAP, including Vikramjit Sahney, Rajinder Gupta and Ashok Mittal, may accompany him on the inaugural journey.

According to officials, around 40 to 50 BJP leaders from Ludhiana travelled to Delhi to board the first flight. Bittu said party workers who could make last-minute arrangements had joined the event.

However, as of now there is no confirmation of any AAP leader joining the ceremony on Friday.

Flight Schedule

Air India will initially operate two daily return flights between Delhi and Halwara. The morning flight will depart from Delhi at 5.55 am and arrive at Halwara at 7.05 am, while the return flight will leave Halwara at 7.55 am and reach Delhi at 9.10 am. The second service will take off from Delhi at 12.55 pm and land at Halwara at 2.10 pm. The final flight of the day will depart from Halwara at 2.40 pm and arrive in Delhi at 3.55 pm. Each journey is expected to take around one hour and 15 minutes.Ticket prices are currently ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 4,500.