Even though the runway’s ready and ₹133 crore spent, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is holding things up over minor things like CCTV placements and window locations. Two AAI officials have been camped there for eight months waiting. Meanwhile, Hisar airport; launched with fanfare in 2025; is seeing under 10,000 passengers in its first year. The lesson? Launching an airport isn’t just about laying concrete. It’s about permissions, bureaucracy, and passenger demand; all of which can turn a grand infrastructure dream into a quiet, empty terminal.