India's first airports sprung up one after another in the early 1900s. Leading the pack were the airfields in Allahabad and Bombay, which is where India’s tryst with the skies began, long before Independence.
Though established as a full airport in 1931, Allahabad Airport, before that, was where India’s first airmail flight originated. On February 18, 1911, French pilot Henri Piquet flew a Humber biplane from Allahabad to Naini, covering 9.6 km and carrying 6,500 letters, starting up India's aviation chapter, as per PIB.
Established in 1928 as a grass airstrip for the Bombay Flying Club, on October 15, 1932, JRD Tata landed here after piloting India’s first commercial mail flight from Karachi, marking a historic milestone in Indian aviation.
Known as Willingdon Airfield, Delhi’s first airport, was built in 1929. Primarily used by the British for military & VIP travel, it was the city's main airport until the early 1960s, when commercial operations moved to Palam Airport, later called Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The first airport serving Chennai belonged to the Madras Flying Club and began in 1930. Before that from 1915 onwards, mail was flown out from the same strip. Today it is called Chennai International Airport.
The British turned the Kingdom of Cochin's airport, built in 1936 on Willingdon Island, into a military airstrip. Operations then shifted to Nedumbassery, the site of the present airport, celebrated as one of the world’s first fully solar-powered airport.
Established in 1939, it is located in Lohegaon, Maharashtra. The aerodrome began as a military base used by the Royal Air Force during World War II, when de Havilland Mosquito (s), Vickers Wellington bombers and Supermarine Spitfires took off from here.
Built in 1930 by the Nizam of Hyderabad, Begumpet Airport was the city’s primary airport until 2008, when Rajiv Gandhi International Airport opened. The old airport is now used for pilot training, air shows, VIP flights.
Before becoming NSCBI Airport, this site was known as Dum Dum Airport. It started up in 1924 and was one of the earliest airfields used by the British Royal Air Force as well as by commercial pilots.