The Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport on Wednesday announced that it will be commencing operations from the new integrated terminal 3 from March 31.

Akasa Air will be the first airline to shift its entire operations to terminal 3, an official statement said on Wednesday.

This move to shift operations to terminal 3 is in line with the Lucknow airport’s plan to shift all the domestic and international flights to the newly-built integrated terminal, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month.

The terminal 3 is built at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore and can handle 80 lakh passengers per annum, and at the end of phase 2, the capacity will go up to 1.3 crore passengers per annum.

Announcing the commencement of operations, an airport spokesperson said, “The Chaudhary Charan Singh International (CCSI) Airport is commissioning terminal 3 from 31st of this month and Akasa Air will be the first airline to shift into the new facility. We are working together to ensure that the move to Terminal 3 will benefit the passengers and provide them with world-class experience. Emphasis is to ensure that adequate information is provided to passengers flying Akasa Airlines in a timely manner and all available modes of communication will be employed.”

On the operation day, Lucknow Airport will be deploying customer service associates and signages at strategic decision-making points to guide Akasa Airlines passengers towards Terminal 3 departure and arrival.

The Terminal 3 of the CCSI Airport has various key features to provide seamless experience to flyers including DigiYatra, adequate check-in counters, common use self-service kiosks, automated tray retrieval systems, advanced baggage screening machines, baggage reclaim belts and aerobridges & parking bays for aircraft.

The newly constructed apron will increase the passenger boarding gates from 7 to 13 and passenger boarding bridges from 2 to 7. At present, the airport connects 29 domestic and 8 international destinations. The capacity augmentation will help in improving its operational efficiency substantially.

An out-of-the-world audio-visual experience has been brought to life at the airport with the art and architecture of Uttar Pradesh, starting from the entry gates to the skylight. The check-in counters will mesmerise passengers with illuminated motifs of ‘Chikankari’ and ‘Mukaish’ embroidery. Graphics on the frosting depict stories from epics, such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The airport has several sustainability features and adequate deployment of recyclable materials. It will be a multi-modal travel hub with metro connectivity, intercity electric bus service, and app-based taxi services.