Flybrary Airports: Amazing Free Library Now Live at 68 Locations
Flybrary airports have quietly become one of the more delightful additions to India’s flying experience, letting passengers pick up a free book before boarding and drop it off wherever they land. Here’s how the initiative works, where you can find it, and how it grew from a single pilot to a nationwide network.
What Is the Flybrary Airports Initiative?
Flybrary airports offer a free, self-service library set up inside terminal buildings, where passengers can browse a small collection, pick a book they’d like to read, and carry it along for their journey. The concept was created by Sujit Mahapatra, founder of the Bakul Foundation, in partnership with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), turning idle airport waiting time into reading time for travellers across the country.
How Did Flybrary Airports Start?
The very first Flybrary launched as a pilot at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar in February 2025. What began as a single-airport experiment has since expanded rapidly, and Flybrary airports now number 68 across the country, spanning both major metros and smaller regional airports.
How Does the Flybrary Airports System Work?
Unlike a traditional library, Flybrary airports don’t require passengers to return a book at the same counter they picked it up from. Travellers can carry their chosen book all the way to their destination and drop it off at the Flybrary shelf of the airport they land at, letting books circulate naturally across the network rather than staying tied to one location. Some airports also allow passengers to hold onto a book and return it whenever they happen to pass through again. Readers are also encouraged to donate books of their own, which is how many of these collections keep growing.
Where Can You Find Flybrary Airports?
The list of Flybrary airports now includes Ranchi, Bhuj, Darbhanga, Khajuraho, Kullu-Manali, Mangaluru, Diu, Amritsar, Prayagraj, and dozens of others, covering a genuinely wide spread of India’s domestic airport network rather than being limited to the busiest hubs alone.
Prayagraj’s Recent Flybrary Launch
Prayagraj Airport’s Flybrary is among the more recently launched locations. According to the airport director, the initiative “was designed to make flying a more informative and intellectually enriching experience for passengers.” Its current collection leans heavily toward yoga and spirituality titles, reflecting the city’s cultural character. Officials have been candid that some passengers haven’t returned borrowed books since launch, and they’ve appealed to local residents to donate a wider variety of genres to keep the shelf appealing to more travellers.
Government Support Behind Flybrary Airports
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has publicly welcomed the initiative’s growth, saying he was “delighted to see passengers welcoming Flybrary,” framing it as part of a broader push toward more passenger-friendly airport experiences across the Airports Authority of India network.
Why This Matters for Indian Air Travel
Flybrary airports are just one part of AAI’s wider modernization push this year, our coverage of the AAI Recruitment 2026 Junior Executive drive looks at how the organisation is also expanding its workforce to support this kind of growth across the airport network.
Airports Aren’t the Only Travel Infrastructure Getting an Upgrade
Passenger experience improvements aren’t limited to airports either, our coverage of the Indian Railways PPP station redevelopment programme looks at a similar push to modernise passenger facilities on the railway side of India’s transport network.
What Happens Next
With 68 airports already on board, Flybrary’s continued growth will likely depend on exactly the kind of grassroots book donations that Prayagraj and other airports are currently appealing for. For now, it remains one of the simplest and most low-cost passenger-friendly additions AAI has rolled out in recent years, requiring little more than a shelf, a modest book collection, and travellers willing to pass a good read along.
For more national news and infrastructure updates, check out our National section.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Flybrary at Indian airports?
Flybrary is a free, self-service library set up inside airport terminals where passengers can pick up a book, read it during their journey, and drop it off at any participating airport.
How many airports currently have Flybrary?
Flybrary airports now number 68 across India, including major and regional airports alike.
Where did Flybrary first launch?
The pilot launched at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar in February 2025, before expanding nationwide.
Do I have to return the book at the same airport?
No. You can carry the book to your destination airport and drop it off there, or in some cases keep it and return it on a future trip.
Can I donate my own books to Flybrary?
Yes. Passengers are encouraged to donate books of their own, which helps keep the collections at each airport growing and varied.