As the aircraft soared into the morning sky, 90-year-old Lekhraj Sharma pressed against the window and looked down at a landscape he knew better than most. Until a few years ago, those buildings, the terminal and runway were all farmland. On Monday, they were home to NCR's newest airport.
For Sharma and scores of other farmers on board the first flight to take off from Noida, the journey was more than their first experience of air travel — it was a rare chance to watch, from 30,000 feet, the transformation of land they once cultivated into a project that has reshaped the region. Organised by the Uttar Pradesh government as a gesture of gratitude, the flight to Lucknow carried 170 farmers whose land made the airport possible.
First Flight Experience
“We gave 15 acres for the airport project. We are happy that it has come up on our land. This was my first flight,” Sharma, from Ranhera village, said after landing in Lucknow, where the group later met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The passengers included 28 women, from villages such as Kishorpur, Banwaribas, Rohi, Ranhera and Thora.
“Jewar has really changed. It looked so different from above,” said 68-year-old Karnesh Singh of Dayanatpur village, whose family gave 272 acres for the project and received compensation of about Rs 80 crore. He admitted that most farmers were initially sceptical when land acquisition began five years ago. “This was our ancestral land shared by three brothers. We were unsure at first, but the government assured us the airport would bring investment and development. Today, seeing the project become a reality is satisfying,” he added.
A lifelong farmer, Singh said he never had the opportunity to travel by air until now. “I never imagined I would fly at this age. Looking down at Jewar from the sky filled me with joy and wonder. It is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life,” he said.
Gratitude and Transformation
Mahavir Prasad Sharma (70), a retired inter-college teacher from Ranhera, said airport staff made the check-in process easy for first-time flyers. “The villages, fields and roads looked tiny from above. I felt grateful for the opportunity and never expected such a moment,” he said. His family had given 14 acres for the project and later purchased land elsewhere with the compensation.
For Reeta Pradhan of Thora village, the flight symbolised how dramatically the region has changed. “Our four-acre land was acquired for the airport. We have fond memories of growing wheat and corn there. Today, flights are taking off from the same place. While we lost our land, we gained something more meaningful,” she said.
Hira Rashid, an MBBS student at Aligarh Muslim University from Rohi village, said the airport would benefit future generations. “This is a special flight because farmers and their families are travelling free of cost. But the airport will be a major advantage for students like me who hope to study abroad,” she added.
Chief Minister's Remarks
In Lucknow, meeting the farmers, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recalled the early stages of the project, and how progress on land acquisition was slow. “After the proposal was cleared, I gave officials a 100-day deadline to begin the land acquisition process. However, little progress was made even after the deadline expired. I visited Noida and held a meeting with officials. Later, I met landowners at Gautam Buddha University. The farmers initially said they would not part with their land. I asked them to think about the project because it had the potential to change their future. Those who recognise opportunities move ahead. After that, the farmers agreed and the district administration and Yamuna Authority accelerated the land acquisition process,” he said.
Talking about Jewar's transformation, he added, “Jewar was once a kasba. Today, it is developing into a modern city. People from across the country want to invest here.”
