The first flight from Delhi to Ludhiana is set to land at the newly established Halwara civil terminal on Friday morning, marking the commencement of operations at the new Ludhiana airport. Air India’s A320 aircraft, with a capacity of 160 passengers, will land at Halwara and be given a “water cannon salute”, a ceremonial aviation tradition in which fire tenders spray water to form an arch over the aircraft to welcome a new flight. The Halwara terminal, developed by expanding the Indian Air Force (IAF) base, has been completed after missing several deadlines over the past eight years. The project was approved by the Punjab Cabinet in December 2018. The BJP-led Centre is set to turn the arrival of the first flight into a show of strength ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls. Union Minister of State and senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu will be among the first passengers to land at Halwara from Delhi .…