Ayodhya airport set to be inaugurated on December 30; Here's all you need to know

At the event, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by other top officials and party members, reports said.

Leading budget carrier IndiGo will operate the inaugural flight from the Ayodhya airport. Its maiden flight from Delhi to Ayodhya is expected to land on December 30. IndiGo will start commercial operations for the direct route between Delhi and Ayodhya on January 6, 2024, followed by tri-weekly flights connecting Ahmedabad and Ayodhya starting on January 11, 2024.

Meanwhile, Air India Express has also announced the commencement of services from the Ayodhya International Airport. Ayodhya will be the airline's 45th destination and third operational sector in Uttar Pradesh.

Air India Express, a subsidiary of the Tata group's Air India, will operate its inaugural flight, IX 2789, from Delhi at 11:00 hrs on December 30, 2023. The flight will land at the Ayodhya airport at 12:20 hrs.

The return flight, IX 1769, will depart from Ayodhya at 12:50 hrs and arrive in New Delhi at 14:10 hrs.

Air India Express will start its daily scheduled services from January 16, 2024.

The airline will also connect Ayodhya to other destinations such as Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Kochi, Guwahati, Goa, Gwalior, Jaipur, Pune, Surat, Srinagar, and Sharjah.

In a statement, the company said that the launch underlines its commitment to enhancing connectivity from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India as it anticipates growth in Ayodhya, attracting pilgrims and travellers from near and far.

Ayodhya, the temple town of Uttar Pradesh, is gearing up for the grand opening ceremony of the Ram Mandir next month.

The 'Pran-Pratishtha' or consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla's idol will take place at the temple on January 22, 2024.

To mark the occasion, Ayodhya will celebrate Amrit Mahotsav from January 14 to January 22. As part of it, 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will be organised and thousands of devotees will be fed, ANI reported.

On January 16, 2024, the process for the 'Pran-Pratishtha' or consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) will start with Vedic rituals. Pandit Laxmikanth Mathuranath Dixit, a Vedic scholar from Varanasi, will lead the rituals.