First aircraft lands at Dholera airport: an AAI calibration flight, not an opening
An Airports Authority of India calibration aircraft, VT-CNS, made the first landing on Dholera airport's 3,200 m runway on 4 June 2026, greeted with a water-cannon salute near Pipli village.
The trial proves the runway is usable and followed the reported completion of the runway, taxiways and ATC tower. It does not mean the airport is open: the passenger terminal was around 75 percent complete at the time, and operations were later targeted for September-October 2026.
Dholera's airport has carried slipping opening dates since roughly 2010, which is why this site records milestones with dates instead of promises.
What to watchLicensing, terminal completion, and a dated commissioning announcement.
SourcesGujarat Samachar and TV9 coverage, June 2026. Context throughout from the primary-source bibliography on our editorial policy page. Full dated history: the Dholera timeline.