The 14th International conference cum awards on Civil Aviation, organized by the Associated Chambers of Commerce (ASSOCHAM) was held in New Delhi on Wednesday, Jan 18. The annual meet, which felicitated the outstanding achievers in the aviation sector, also included technical sessions discussing methods to make India's civil aviation sector "self-sustainable and economically viable."

In a hoorah moment for Lucknowites at the event, the city's Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport was chosen the "best regional airport" of the year, in the under 25 million category. The spokesperson of Adani airport holdings, the company responsible for managing the CCSI airport, collected the award.

From an automated parking system for ensuring a smooth flow of traffic to more scanners and CCTV cameras, the CCSI airport has witnessed a slew of upgrades over the years, all intended to make the passenger's flying experience as safe, secure, and hassle-free as possible.

On the connectivity front, the addition of new airlines such as Akasa Air and Air Asia India has taken the list of airlines operating at the CCSI airport to 13. Being the second busiest in North and Central India, Lucknow's CCSI airport sees non-stop passenger flights to and from 30 destinations spread across 4 countries.

In a bid to reach its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2024, Lucknow's CCSI airport recently set up an electric vehicle (EV) charging station. This new charging station, open for public use, is the first such EV charging station at a public place in Lucknow. Furthermore, the airport is planning to add another EV charging station on the airside, that will be used to power buses used for internal operations.

The number of electric vehicles operational at the CCSI airport has also increased with the airport recently adding 4 more SUVs, adding to its 1 SUV and 5 sedans. A renewed vigor to make flying eco-friendly coupled with the airport's ever-increasing commitment to passenger convenience make it a deserving winner of the "best regional airport" award.