Daman entered a new chapter in regional air connectivity on July 17, with the launch of its first scheduled direct flight to Delhi from the newly operational NAMO Airport. Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off the inaugural Alliance Air service, providing the Union Territory with its first-ever direct air connection to the national capital.
The new service is expected to reduce travel time between Daman and Delhi to around 2.5 hours, offering a major boost to business travel, tourism and investment in the region. Addressing the inaugural event, the minister said the improved connectivity would benefit the industrial ecosystem of Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, as well as the neighbouring manufacturing hubs of Vapi and Valsad, where thousands of industries operate.
Developed at a cost of ₹124 crore, the civil terminal at NAMO Airport has been built over 25 acres with financial assistance from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which contributed ₹88 crore towards the project. The 3,700 sq. m terminal is capable of handling 14 ATR aircraft movements a day and has an annual passenger handling capacity of 3.67 lakh.
Highlighting Daman’s tourism potential, Naidu noted that the Union Territory attracts nearly 20 lakh visitors annually. He said the government plans to extend the runway in the future to accommodate larger aircraft, including the Airbus A320, and improve connectivity with cities such as Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad and Patna.
The minister also said better air connectivity would support sectors such as fisheries, marine products, food processing and pharmaceuticals by enabling faster movement of goods across the country. He further reiterated that the Centre has extended the UDAN scheme for another 10 years, with an outlay of ₹29,000 crore to develop 100 new airports and 200 helipads, strengthening regional aviation across India.