Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has reached a milestone ahead of 2025 end, with its network expanding to 100 destinations. The tally includes 74 domestic and 26 international routes, reflecting the airport’s steady growth in connectivity since the beginning of its commercial operations.
The 100th destination was added with the launch of flights from the newly inaugurated Navi Mumbai International Airport. The first flight that take off from Navi Mumbai International Airport was IndiGo flight 6E 882, touched down in Hyderabad on December 25, Christmas Day, said Hyderabad airport authorities.
Operational since March 2008, the RGIA was India’s first greenfield airport developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Commercial operations began on March 23, 2008, with a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, LH 753, designated as the inaugural service.
However, the distinction of being the first aircraft to land at the airport went unexpectedly to two SpiceJet flights that arrived ahead of schedule. Flight SG 397 from Ahmedabad and SG 393 from Mumbai were slated to land at 12.50 a.m. and 12.55 a.m., respectively, but touched down earlier at 12.15 a.m. and 12.20 a.m.. Despite this, the ceremonial welcome, as per the official programme, was accorded to the Lufthansa flight, which landed at 12.30 a.m.
Over the years, the Hyderabad airport has also made its mark in aviation history by hosting some of the world’s largest and rarest aircraft. The Antonov An-225 Mriya, later destroyed during the Russia–Ukraine war, made its first landing in India at RGIA in May 2016. The airport has also handled the Antonov An-124 Ruslan and the Airbus A300-608ST Beluga, popularly known as the ‘Whale of the Sky’.
Passenger traffic at the RGIA has seen a sharp rise since its inception, increasing from 62 lakh passengers in FY 2008 to 2.9 crore passengers in FY 2025, underscoring Hyderabad’s emergence as a major aviation hub in the country.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
