While you wait at an airport, you might scroll through your phone, get a coffee, or check the departures screen. Now, at many Indian airports, you have another option: you can pick up a free book and read it while you travel. The Airports Authority of India launched the Flybrary program, allowing passengers to borrow books from airport shelves for free. You can read a book while you wait, take it on your flight, and return it at another Flybrary when you arrive. Flybrary is now available across 68 airports in India.
What Is A Flybrary?
Unlike regular libraries that need memberships and rules, Flybrary keeps things simple. You just look through the shelves, pick a book, and start reading. You can read the book at the terminal or take it with you on your flight. When you reach your destination, you are encouraged to return it to a Flybrary there. Some airports even let you take books home and bring them back the next time you visit.
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How Does Flybrary Work?
Borrowing a book is simple:
- Find the Flybrary shelves at a participating airport.
- Choose a book that interests you.
- Read it at the airport or take it onboard your flight.
- Return it to a Flybrary at your destination, where available.
- Donate your own books at locations that accept contributions.
This way, a book doesn’t have to stay at just one airport. It can travel between cities as people borrow and return it.
Where Did The Flybrary Idea Begin?
The concept was developed by Sujit Mahapatra, who founded the Bakul Foundation in collaboration with the Airports Authority of India. The first Flybrary opened at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar in February 2025. Since then, this community project has grown to 68 airports. The network now includes airports in Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Bhuj, Darbhanga, Khajuraho, Kullu-Manali, Mangaluru, Diu, Amritsar, and more.
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How Is Flybrary Working At Prayagraj Airport?
Prayagraj Airport has just started its own Flybrary, so passengers can read free books while they travel. The goal is to make flying more informative, enjoyable, and focused on learning. The Flybrary also shows why it relies on people being responsible. Just days after it opened, five passengers borrowed books but didn’t return them. Airport staff are asking travelers to return books after their trips and are also inviting locals to donate good, useful books. The Prayagraj Flybrary had many books about yoga and religion. Officials hope that more donations will add a wider range of books and give travelers more choices.
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Summing Up
Flybrary makes waiting for a flight a chance to find a new book. Since it started in Bhubaneswar in 2025 and spread to 68 airports, it has built a simple book-sharing network for travelers. For Flybrary to work, everyone needs to do their part. Borrow a book, enjoy it while you travel, and return it so someone else can read it next.
