Daman gets first direct flight to Delhi from NAMO Airport

The civil terminal was built on a 25-acre site at a cost of ₹124 crore, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation providing ₹88 crore towards the project.

Daman has entered India's growing regional aviation network with the launch of its first-ever direct flight to Delhi from the newly operational NAMO Airport, bringing faster connectivity, fresh business opportunities and a major boost to tourism in the Union Territory.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu, Praful Patel, flagged off the inaugural Alliance Air flight on the Daman–Delhi–Daman route on July 16. The service cuts travel time between Daman and the national capital to around two and a half hours, replacing the earlier journey that often required road travel to Surat or Mumbai before boarding a flight.

New airport strengthens regional connectivity

NAMO Airport is a dual-purpose facility operating from the Indian Coast Guard Air Station in Daman. The civil terminal was built on a 25-acre site at a cost of ₹124 crore, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation providing ₹88 crore towards the project. Spread across 3,700 square metres, the terminal has the capacity to handle 14 ATR flights daily and serve nearly 3.67 lakh passengers every year.

Speaking at the launch, the Civil Aviation Minister described the occasion as a historic milestone for Daman and said the new air link had become possible through the Centre's UDAN initiative, which has expanded regional air connectivity across the country. He added that the Union Territory has witnessed more than 450 development projects worth over ₹13,000 crore during the past 12 years, reflecting the government's focus on improving infrastructure and public services.

Better access expected to boost industry and tourism

The Minister said Daman's improved air connectivity would benefit one of western India's largest industrial clusters. More than 7,000 industries operate across Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, while another 15,000 industries are located in neighbouring Vapi and Valsad. Faster access to major cities is expected to attract fresh investment, improve business travel and create employment opportunities for local youth.

Tourism is also expected to receive a significant boost. Around 20 lakh visitors travel to Daman every year, and officials believe direct flights will encourage many more domestic travellers to visit the coastal destination. The Ministry is also exploring the extension of the airport runway to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Airbus A320, opening the possibility of future connections with Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and Patna.

Blue economy and future expansion in focus

Highlighting Daman's coastal economy, Ram Mohan Naidu said quicker air transport would help fisheries, marine products and food processing industries reach markets across the country within hours, creating new opportunities for fishermen, marine entrepreneurs and the pharmaceutical sector. The Minister also announced that the UDAN scheme has been extended for another ten years under its modified version, backed by an outlay of ₹29,000 crore to develop 100 new airports and 200 new helipads across India.

Administrator Praful Patel described NAMO Airport as a transformative project for the industrial corridor stretching from Valsad in Gujarat to Palghar in Maharashtra. He expressed confidence that the airport would continue expanding over the next 15 years and become a key driver of economic growth for the region. The launch of scheduled commercial flights from NAMO Airport marks an important step in bringing smaller cities into India's expanding aviation network while making air travel more accessible for businesses, tourists and local communities.