Udaipur’s airport is getting a much bigger terminal, and there’s talk of international flights. For a hotel owner, the useful question is what’s actually confirmed, what’s only expected, and what you should do about it. This guide sets out the status as of 7 October 2026, with a source for every point. We’ll update it when anything changes. We rechecked on 19 October 2026 and found no announcement that changes it.
What has been built at Udaipur airport, and what’s confirmed?
A new integrated terminal is being built at Maharana Pratap Airport (often called Dabok airport), and as of 7 October 2026 it is not open. In March 2026 the civil aviation minister, K. Rammohan Naidu, told the Rajya Sabha that the terminal was under construction and would be inaugurated in 2026.[1] A government project-monitoring report covered in June 2026 put completion at September 2026,[2] and after a site inspection in July 2026 the local MP said it would be complete by September.[3] That target has now passed. Our understanding from Udaipur is that opening is expected in late 2026 or in 2027; no official date has been announced.
| Item | Status as of 7 October 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation stone | Laid by the Prime Minister on 5 October 2023 | Organiser with ANI, 6 Oct 2023[4] |
| Completion target | September 2026 | MoSPI report via Udaipur Times, 2 Jun 2026[2]; MP’s inspection, 13 Jul 2026[3] |
| Terminal opening | Not open. Expected late 2026 or 2027; no official date | Local information, October 2026 |
| Project cost | About ₹887 crore, as reported in 2025 and 2026 | Udaipur Times[2]; Patrika[5] |
| Size and capacity | Reports differ (see below) | Organiser[4]; Patrika[5] |
| International routes | None announced. The minister said talks with airlines were under way | PTI, 30 Mar 2026[1] |
| Immigration post | Udaipur is not on the list of designated immigration posts notified on 1 September 2025 | MHA notification S.O. 3987(E)[6] |
On size and capacity, reports differ. Coverage of the 2023 foundation stone described a terminal of about 60,000 square metres serving 4,000 passengers at peak hours and 50 lakh passengers a year.[4] A September 2025 report described about 43,000 square metres, capacity for 2,050 passengers at a time (against 680 in the current terminal), and car parking rising from 300 to 700 spaces.[5] Cost figures have varied too: the 2023 report gave a lower number than the ₹887 crore reported since. We haven’t found final figures published by the Airports Authority of India, so treat all of these as reported, not confirmed.
For context, Jodhpur’s new terminal, whose foundation stone was laid the same day as Udaipur’s, was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 4 July 2026.[12]
How busy is Udaipur airport today?
Udaipur airport handled 18,19,531 passengers in 2025-26 (April 2025 to March 2026), up 10.2% from 16,50,607 the year before, according to the Airports Authority of India.[10]
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic passengers | 16,50,314 | 18,19,041 | +10.2% |
| International passengers | 293 | 490 | +67.2% |
| All passengers | 16,50,607 | 18,19,531 | +10.2% |
Source: AAI Traffic News, March 2026, Annexure III.[10]
Two things stand out. First, almost every passenger is domestic: AAI lists Udaipur among its domestic airports, and the few hundred international passengers came from occasional international movements, not scheduled routes.[10] Second, the airport is already growing without international flights. Any international routes would add to a domestic base that’s rising on its own.
What would international flights from Udaipur need?
Regular international flights need three things in place: immigration, customs, and an airline willing to fly the route.
- An immigration post. Under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, the central government notifies “designated immigration posts” for entry into and exit from India, staffed by immigration officers.[7] Every foreigner arriving must show their passport and visa at the immigration post.[8] The list notified on 1 September 2025 named 37 airports, including Jaipur but not Udaipur.[6] In practice, Udaipur would need to be added before scheduled international flights.
- Customs. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs appoints customs airports by notification under section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962.[9] Passengers and their baggage need customs clearance on arrival, so this has to be arranged as well.
- An airline and a route. Airlines choose routes where they expect enough paying passengers. Foreign airlines also depend on the air services agreement between India and their own country. This is the part nobody can schedule in advance.
In March 2024, Udaipur’s airport director was reported as saying customs and immigration procedures were in place, and that airlines were considering night flights to Gulf countries.[11] No such route has been announced in the two and a half years since, so treat that report as interest, not a plan.
How could international flights change Udaipur tourism?
This section is reasoning, not fact. Nothing below has happened yet. If direct international flights do start, here’s what we’d expect, based on how a direct route changes the journey for a traveller:
- A different guest mix. Travellers from the connected city, and Indians living there, could reach Udaipur without changing planes in Delhi or Mumbai. Which countries matters a lot, and that’s unknown.
- Longer stays, or extra nights. A shorter journey can leave more of a holiday for the destination itself. It can also make Udaipur the starting point of a Rajasthan trip rather than a stop in the middle.
- Arrivals at unusual hours. International schedules are set around the other end of the route. Late-night and early-morning arrivals would mean late check-ins, airport pickups at odd hours and Form C filings at the end of a night shift.
- Seasons that shift a little. Demand from abroad follows the source country’s holidays, which may not match Udaipur’s domestic peaks.
- More competition for the same guests. International travellers often shortlist hotels on global OTAs, Google and AI tools. Hotels that are clear and consistent on all three are likelier to be shortlisted.
The size of any effect depends on the route, how often it runs and the fares. One or two weekly flights would change much less than a daily service.
What hasn’t changed yet?
As of 7 October 2026:
- The new terminal isn’t open, and no official opening date has been set.
- No international route, airline or start date has been announced.
- Udaipur hasn’t been added to the list of designated immigration posts, as far as we can find.
- International visitors still reach Udaipur through other airports, by road or by rail, as they do today.
If you see a claim that flights to a particular country are “starting soon”, check whether an airline has actually put tickets on sale. Until then, it’s a hope, not a schedule.
What this means for hotel owners
You don’t need to bet on international flights. The useful steps are ones that help with the foreign guests you already get, and they cost little:
- Watch for the three signals: the terminal opening, Udaipur being notified as an immigration post, and an airline announcing a route with dates. We’ll update this guide when any of them happens.
- Fix how foreign travellers find you. Your Google listing, OTA pages and website should say the same things in clear English: location, distance from the airport, room types, what’s included. Our guide to getting your Udaipur hotel recommended by AI tools covers this in detail.
- Make it possible to pay from abroad. If your payment gateway doesn’t accept international cards yet, find out what activation needs.
- Make Form C routine. If your staff file Form III (formerly Form C) within 24 hours every time today, more foreign guests won’t create a backlog. The Bureau of Immigration’s Form C portal has the registration steps and current guidance.
- Plan for late arrivals. Decide now who checks in a guest at 2 a.m. and how the airport pickup works.
Our preparation checklist for Udaipur hotels turns these into a 30, 60 and 90-day plan. For the wider picture of who visits and when, read Udaipur tourism trends and Rajasthan tourism trends. If a route is announced, our Performance Marketing service can help you reach travellers in the new source market quickly.