This is India’s first airport, played key role during World War II, has THIS Tata connection, is located in...

Lakhs of people travel by air in India on an everyday basis. In fact, India is the world’s third-largest domestic airline market. And the country is home to some of the largest and most prominent airports around the world.

However, did you know which was India’s first-ever airport?

India’s very first airport, the Juhu Aerodome, was established in Mumbai in 1928 – roughly 97 years ago. It is also known as the Vile Parle Aviation Club. It was started as a private airstrip and later turned into a public airport.

The airport saw its first flight landing in 1932 as industrialist and aviation pioneer JRD Tata flew down from Karachi in Pakistan to Mumbai.

“JRD Tata was 15 when he took a joyride in a plane in France, and decided he would become a pilot. In 1932, he pioneered the aviation industry in India, when he set off on the inaugural flight from Karachi to Bombay,” according to an official statement on the website of Tata Group.

It was the base for the Tata Airlines – India’s first commercial airline – which later became the government-owned Air India and again repurchased by the Tata Group in 2022.

Interestingly, during the second World War, the Juhu Aerodome played a crucial role being Mumbai’s primary airbase as it supported military operations.

However, as bigger airports like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were built, the Juhu Aerodome’s relevance reduced. It is no longer used for commercial flights, instead serving as a base for VIP movements.