Alliance Air has launched a direct flight between Daman and Delhi, marking the beginning of commercial operations from the newly opened NAMO Airport in Daman.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Administrator Praful Patel flagged off the inaugural Daman–Delhi–Daman flight on 16 July.
The service gives Daman its first direct air connection with the national capital.
The flight is expected to reduce travel time between Daman and Delhi to around two-and-a-half hours. Travellers earlier had to use airports in Mumbai or Surat, adding between eight and 10 hours to their journey, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.
NAMO Airport operates as a dual-purpose facility from the Indian Coast Guard Air Station in Daman. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for its civil terminal on 25 April 2023 and inaugurated the airport on 5 June 2026.
The terminal has been developed by the Union Territory administration at a cost of ₹124 crore on a 25-acre site.
The Civil Aviation Ministry reimbursed ₹88 crore towards the project.
Spread across 3,700 square metres, the terminal can currently handle up to 14 ATR aircraft movements a day. It has an annual passenger-handling capacity of approximately 3.67 lakh.
The government expects the new air service to support the industrial belt covering Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Vapi, Valsad and parts of Maharashtra.
More than 7,000 industries operate across Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, while over 15,000 industrial units are located in neighbouring Vapi and Valsad. The direct flight is expected to improve access for businesses, workers and investors operating across the region.
The Civil Aviation Ministry also expects the airport to support Daman’s tourism sector.
Nearly 20 lakh tourists visit the Union Territory every year, according to figures cited by the ministry.
Naidu said the government was examining an extension of the runway to enable the operation of larger aircraft, including Airbus A320-type planes. Additional connections to Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad and Patna are also being considered.
The minister said improved aviation connectivity could help fisheries, marine-product businesses, food-processing companies and pharmaceutical units move goods to markets across the country more quickly.
The government is also planning further infrastructure development at Diu Airport, where annual passenger traffic has increased from around 19,000 in 2013 to more than one lakh.
Plans include a new passenger terminal and an additional runway to accommodate growing traffic.
The Daman flight has been launched as the Centre prepares to extend the regional air-connectivity programme for another 10 years.
Under the proposed Modified UDAN scheme, the government has announced an outlay of ₹29,000 crore for the development of 100 new airports and 200 helipads during the period.
Read also : PM launches ₹29,000 crore Modified UDAN Scheme, Inaugurates ₹480 crore Jodhpur Airport terminal
