Kanpur Airport (IATA code KNU / ICAO code VIKA), or Chakeri Airport, as it is commonly known, has seen good and bad days every off and on. In the 1970s, flights operated from this airport regularly to Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. For a long time, passengers of Kanpur, Unnao and Fatehpur have had to travel about 80 kilometers (50 miles) Northwards to Amausi Airport in Lucknow, a painful 2-3 hours drive, for catching a flight to New Delhi, Mumbai or overseas.
Air India Regional (formerly Alliance Air) is operating a regular daily flight using a new 48-seater ATR-42 Turboprop between Kanpur and Delhi domestic terminal, 6 times a week, Monday to Saturday. This flight IC7801 departs from Delhi at 13:30 hrs and arrives Kanpur at 14:55 hrs. The return flight departs Kanpur at 17:15hrs and reaches Delhi at 18:40 hrs.
Kanpur Airport has seen increased passenger traffic since September 2007 and the future seems to be pretty bright for this airport. Several airlines have shown keen interest in flying from Kanpur. The airport terminal has been recently renovated with a new fully airconditioned passenger hall. The airport has been equipped with DVOR/DME (for landing in night and foggy conditions). Civil Aviation Ministry has drawn up a multi crore modernisation programme for the Kanpur Airport, which will be soon underway. Kanpur with a booming economy holds a good potential for the airlines intending to start services from here. Looking at the current trend, the year 2008 is likely to see an increase of over 500%, in passenger traffic from Kanpur Airport, which would be unprecedented.
Kanpur Airport