Ludhiana is India’s largest city in Punjab — the Manchester of India, as it has been called since the 19th century, for its dense concentration of textile mills, hosiery factories, cycle parts manufacturing, and machine tool industries. It is also one of India’s wealthiest cities by per-capita income, home to a large NRI business community with strong ties to the UK, Canada, and the US. For a city of this economic weight, its airport has always been an embarrassment of inadequacy. Ludhiana Airport at Sahnewal — IATA code LUH, ICAO code VILD — is a 130-acre facility with a 1,463-metre runway, a 1,150-square-metre terminal that handles 70 passengers simultaneously, and a commercial history defined by intermittent, thin-route services that have never matched the city’s aviation demand. As of mid-2026, the airport’s days as Ludhiana’s primary commercial gateway are numbered: Halwara International Airport — a civil enclave being developed at the IAF’s Halwara Air Force Station 40 kilometres south — is opening with Air India’s Delhi service and is expected to eventually replace Sahnewal as Ludhiana’s aviation hub.
Quick Overview: Ludhiana Airport (Sahnewal)
| Detail | Information |
| Official Name | Ludhiana Airport (also: Sahnewal Airport) |
| Location | Sahnewal, ~5–12 km southeast of Ludhiana, Punjab (on GT Road / NH-44) |
| Airport Type | Public — Domestic |
| IATA Code | LUH |
| ICAO Code | VILD |
| Owner | Government of Punjab |
| Operator | Airports Authority of India (AAI) |
| Total Area | 130.5 acres |
| Runway Designation | 12/30 |
| Runway Length | 1,463 m × 30 m — asphalt |
| Terminal Area | 1,150 sq. metres |
| Terminal Capacity | 70 arrivals + 70 departures |
| Elevation | 254 m / 834 ft AMSL |
| Coordinates | 30°51′17″N, 75°57′09″E |
| Passengers (2024–25) | 2,003 (+67.9% YoY) |
| Aircraft Movements (2024–25) | 404 (+88.8% YoY) |
| Current Airline | FlyBig (historically; confirm current status) |
| Recent Route | Hindon/Ghaziabad (FlyBig, from September 2023) |
| Successor Airport | Halwara International Airport (~40 km south; Air India Delhi service launched) |
| Nearest Major Airport | Chandigarh Airport (~95 km) |
Ludhiana Airport Location: GT Road’s Industrial Corridor
Ludhiana Airport is located near Sahnewal town, approximately 5 to 12 kilometres southeast of Ludhiana city centre on National Highway 44 — the former GT (Grand Trunk) Road, India’s oldest and most historic overland artery. The coordinates are 30°51′17″N, 75°57′09″E, at an elevation of 254 metres above sea level. The airport sits in the flat Punjab plain at the urban-industrial fringe of Ludhiana, between the city’s main body to the northwest and Sahnewal’s small-town commercial zone on the GT Road.
Ludhiana’s economic identity — the manufacturing capital of Punjab, producing 60% of India’s bicycle components, 95% of its woollen hosiery, and large shares of its machine tools, sewing machine parts, and fasteners — generates enormous latent aviation demand from industrialists, buyers from across India and overseas, and NRI visitors. The city’s NRI community — particularly in the UK and Canada — has the same ancestral homeland demand that drives Amritsar’s international traffic. Yet Sahnewal Airport has never captured more than a fraction of this because the runway, at 1,463 metres, cannot accommodate jet aircraft at full commercial loads, restricting Ludhiana to turboprop and small aircraft services that don’t offer the frequency or connectivity the city needs.
Chandigarh Airport is approximately 95 km east — the default choice for Ludhiana’s business community for jet-class domestic and international flights, despite the road distance.
Ludhiana Airport Code: IATA LUH and ICAO VILD
The IATA code is LUH and the ICAO code is VILD. LUH is used in FlyBig’s booking system for Ludhiana. VILD places it in the VI northern India block. The airport has historically appeared and disappeared from airline booking systems as services start and stop — a reflection of the airport’s thin-route commercial volatility.
Ludhiana Airport Terminal: A 1,150-Square-Metre Building Awaiting Retirement
The terminal at Ludhiana Airport spans 1,150 square metres — approximately the footprint of a large hotel lobby — handling 70 arrivals and 70 departures simultaneously. Baggage delivery is done manually. The terminal has basic check-in counters, security screening, a modest departure waiting area, and arrivals processing.
Commercial aviation at Sahnewal has moved in repeated cycles. Air India Regional operated ATR-72 services thrice weekly in earlier years. SpiceJet operated at various points. Services would begin, load factors would fall, and services would suspend. A two-year suspension preceded FlyBig’s September 2023 relaunch with 19-seater Cessna services to Hindon (Ghaziabad) — giving Ludhiana its most recent commercial connection. The 2024–25 passenger count of 2,003 reflects this thin-service reality: fewer than 6 passengers per day on average across the year.
The future of Ludhiana Airport at Sahnewal is now defined by Halwara International Airport. The civil enclave terminal at Halwara Air Force Station — approximately 40 km south of Ludhiana — was completed at a cost of approximately ₹70 crore and covers 2,000 square metres. Air India launched Delhi service from Halwara. Original plans called for Sahnewal to close once Halwara opened. As of mid-2026, Sahnewal continues to hold its LUH code, and the transition timeline between the two airports remained in flux — Halwara was originally expected to open in end-2023, then May 2025, with multiple slippages.
Ludhiana Airport Connectivity: Thin Service, Chandigarh the Practical Hub
By Air: FlyBig operated Cessna 208B (19-seat) Hindon/Ghaziabad services from September 2023 as the most recent scheduled commercial service. Load factors were persistently low — often under 20 passengers per flight. Confirm current operational status before any attempt to book flights from LUH — thin UDAN routes at Ludhiana have a history of discontinuation.
Halwara (Practical Alternative): Air India’s Delhi service at Halwara International Airport (~40 km south) is the more commercially viable Ludhiana aviation option as of mid-2026. Confirm Halwara’s current schedule before travel planning.
By Road: Sahnewal Airport is approximately 5 to 12 km from Ludhiana city centre on NH-44. Local taxis and auto-rickshaws cover the journey in 15 to 25 minutes. Chandigarh Airport is approximately 95 km east — the default hub for Ludhiana’s jet-class domestic and international travel needs.
By Rail: Ludhiana Junction Railway Station — on the Amritsar-Delhi main line — is approximately 13 to 15 km from the airport. Trains connect Ludhiana to Delhi (approximately 5 hours by Shatabdi), Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Mumbai.
Ludhiana Airport Amenities: Minimal, Appropriate to Scale
The 1,150-square-metre terminal provides the bare essentials: check-in counters, security screening, a departure waiting area with limited seating, restrooms, and arrivals baggage claim (manual delivery). There is no commercial lounge, no duty-free, no food court, and no premium retail. The airport’s 130-acre footprint gives it more land than its current terminal uses — but runway length, not land, is the binding constraint preventing commercial expansion at this site.
FAQs: Ludhiana Airport
Q1. What is the IATA code for Ludhiana Airport?
The IATA code is LUH and the ICAO code is VILD. The airport is at Sahnewal, approximately 5 to 12 km southeast of Ludhiana on NH-44, owned by the Government of Punjab and operated by AAI.
Q2. Why does Ludhiana — India’s largest Punjab city — have such limited aviation?
The Sahnewal runway at 1,463 metres cannot handle jet aircraft at full commercial loads, restricting the airport to small turboprops. Low load factors on these services have made commercial sustainability difficult. Chandigarh Airport (95 km) absorbs Ludhiana’s jet-class demand.
Q3. What is Halwara Airport and how does it relate to Ludhiana Airport?
Halwara International Airport is a civil enclave being developed at Halwara Air Force Station, approximately 40 km south of Ludhiana. It has a 2,000-square-metre terminal, a longer runway capable of jet operations, and Air India’s Delhi service. It is intended to eventually replace Sahnewal as Ludhiana’s primary commercial airport. Sahnewal was originally to close when Halwara opened, but multiple delays pushed the timeline.
Q4. What is the current commercial service at Ludhiana Airport?
FlyBig operated Cessna 208B services to Hindon (Ghaziabad) from September 2023. Passenger numbers were very thin — 2,003 total in 2024–25. Confirm current operational status before booking; services at this airport have historically been volatile.
Q5. What is the nearest major airport to Ludhiana?
Chandigarh Airport (IXC) at approximately 95 km east is the nearest major airport with jet-class domestic connectivity. Halwara Airport (~40 km south) is now the nearest facility with Air India’s Delhi jet service.
