The Ministry of Civil Aviation flagged off the first Alliance Air flight on the Daman–Delhi–Daman route from NAMO Airport, Daman, on 16 July 2026. The launch matters because Daman has received its first direct air link with the national capital, and the Union government is presenting the service as part of the broader UDAN Scheme push for regional connectivity.

What happened

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful Patel flagged off the inaugural flight. The government-owned regional carrier Alliance Air began operations on the Daman–Delhi–Daman route, which the Ministry described as Daman’s first-ever direct air connection.

Background and earlier position

NAMO Airport, Daman, is a dual-purpose facility operating out of the Indian Coast Guard Air Station, Daman. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the civil terminal on 25 April 2023 and inaugurated the airport on 5 June 2026. The Union government says the airport was developed by the Union Territory administration on a 25-acre site at a cost of ₹124 crore, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation reimbursing ₹88 crore.

The terminal has a built-up area of 3,700 square metres. The Ministry says the airport can currently handle 14 ATR flights a day and has an annual capacity of 3.67 lakh passengers.

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