Farmers hold boarding passes after arriving at Noida International Airport from Lucknow, in Jewar. (PTI Photo)Babu Lal is elated that he is flying.“We could have never thought that we would be flying in an airplane, let alone in an airport built on our land,” said the 72-year-old from Kishorepur village in Noida.He is among the farmers on board the maiden flight from the Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar, and is also among those whose land was acquired for the mega project.On Monday, an IndiGo flight to Lucknow was the first to take off at 8.30 am. More flights to Bengaluru, Amritsar and Chandigarh are slated for the day.Rajwati, 61, is finally happy she is getting to meet her friends, who were neighbours earlier, as the airport construction separated all of them. She is among the landowners who flew to Lucknow.“Koi kahi chala gaya hai, koi kahi aur, sab bikhar gaye hai (someone is here, someone has there, everyone is scattered),” she said, talking about the biggest change to her life after her land was acquired for constructing the airport.“I still cry sometimes when I think of my land. I still go out of my house sometimes thinking of my cows,” she said about her 25 bigha land in Rohi village which was acquired in 2019.Story continues below this adWhile some lamented the changes to their way of life and recalled memories of farming on their own land, others are enthusiastic of the proposed development that is expected to accompany the airport.Sachin Singh, 27, has come to the airport with his parents, wife and daughter for a flight to Amritsar.“I always wanted to take my daughter on the first flight out of the airport, so we booked a family vacation to Amritsar, which was among the first flights out of Noida,” said Singh, whose land in Thora village has been acquired for Phase 2 of the airport.But he is also cautious, warning about the money that comes with the development. “Paise koi rukta thodi hai (Money does not stop). People who had not seen lakhs in life are now getting crores for their land,” he added, pointing out that people mostly waste it on bigger cars and alcohol.Story continues below this adAlso Read | No expat rule: Why Noida airport had to change its CEO to expedite launch of flight operationsThe airport, which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in March, is the second international airport in the National Capital Region and once completed, will be the largest airport in Asia, rivalling Dubai and Shanghai.Initially, flight operations from Noida International Airport will connect passengers to five destinations across the country: Amritsar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jammu and Navi Mumbai.NIA projects to have 5 million passengers within 10-12 months, while international flights are slated to begin before the year ends. Construction activities on the second phase are expected to begin before the end of this decade, according to an interview given by the leadership of NIA to The Indian Express.Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:airportNoida