Which of the following Airports in Uttar Pradesh has been granted International Status on 24th June 2020 by Union Cabinet of India?

The correct answer is D) Kushinagar Airport. On 24 June 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the grant of international status to Kushinagar airport, which is linked to the Buddhist circuit because the Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana there.

• A) Agra Airport: Agra's airport at Kheria is a domestic airport. It was not the subject of this decision, and its Taj-linked tourism value does not by itself make it an international airport.
• B) Prayagraj Airport: Prayagraj (Bamrauli) was not granted international status in this decision. Its prominence comes from the Kumbh and Sangam, not from this cabinet approval.
• C) Gorakhpur Airport: Gorakhpur is a major regional airport, but the June 2020 cabinet decision did not confer international status on it. Aspirants often confuse it with Kushinagar because the two districts are close together.

The core concept is the Ministry of Civil Aviation's process of declaring airports as international, which is a regulatory and infrastructure decision, separate from actual international flight operations. Kushinagar was inaugurated in October 2021, and international flights began later. For Mains, this connects to tourism-led regional development and the Buddhist circuit, as well as the role of connectivity schemes like UDAN in reducing regional disparities.

Trap: Candidates often pick Gorakhpur because it is the best-known airport in eastern UP. Kushinagar was the airport named in the 24 June 2020 decision.