The Chief Minister's Office of Uttar Pradesh, citing remarks by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, announced on Saturday, June 6, 2026, that an airport is currently under construction in Shravasti, a city in eastern Uttar Pradesh revered across three major religious traditions. Speaking on the significance of the project, Chief Minister Adityanath said: 'भगवान श्रीराम के पुत्र लव द्वारा बसाई गई श्रावस्ती, भगवान बुद्ध की सर्वाधिक चातुर्मास स्थली रही है' ['Shravasti, founded by Lav, son of Lord Shri Ram, has been the foremost site of Lord Buddha's chaturmas (monsoon retreats)']. He added that the city is also the sacred land of Jain Tirthankar Sambhavanath, and that it was therefore essential for an airport to be built there.

Context

Shravasti occupies a unique place in India's religious geography. According to tradition, the city was founded by Lav, son of Lord Rama, linking it to the Ramayana circuit. It is also the site where Lord Buddha is said to have spent the greatest number of chaturmas — the four-month monsoon retreat observed by Buddhist monks — making it one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in the world, home to the celebrated Jetavana monastery. Additionally, the city is venerated by Jains as the birthplace of Tirthankar Sambhavanath, the third of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankars.

Policy Backdrop

The Shravasti airport project fits squarely within a broader infrastructure push that the Yogi Adityanath government has pursued since 2017, pairing aviation development with pilgrimage tourism at key religious sites across Uttar Pradesh. The Maharishi Valmiki International Airport at Ayodhya was inaugurated in 2023 to serve the Ramayana circuit, while Kushinagar International Airport was developed to cater to Buddhist pilgrims visiting the site of Lord Buddha's mahaparinirvana. Both projects were aligned with the Central government's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) regional connectivity scheme, which supports airport development in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Shravasti, sitting at the intersection of the Ramayana, Buddhist, and Jain circuits, represents a natural extension of this policy.

Stakeholders and Impact

The airport is expected to benefit a wide range of stakeholders. Buddhist pilgrims from across Asia — particularly from Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, and South Korea — who currently face difficult surface-transport journeys to Shravasti stand to gain the most immediate benefit. Jain pilgrims and visitors on the Ramayana trail would also find access significantly easier. For the local economy of Shravasti district, one of the more economically challenged districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, improved air connectivity could catalyse hospitality, retail, and ancillary employment. The aviation sector, particularly regional carriers operating under UDAN routes, would gain a new destination on the pilgrimage circuit.

What's Next

The construction of the Shravasti airport is now confirmed to be under way, though specific milestones, the projected completion date, and the total project cost have not been disclosed in the official communication. Observers will watch for announcements on trial flights, airline route allocations under the UDAN scheme, and the airport's formal integration into Uttar Pradesh's Buddhist circuit and Ramayana tourism packages. The project's progress is likely to be a political and developmental benchmark for the state government as it approaches future electoral cycles.