The Noida International Airport (NIA), a new greenfield aviation hub in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, is set to begin operations by the end of this year, reported PTI.
The project, built under a public-private partnership model with Yamuna International Airport Private Limited will become NCR’s second international facility after Delhi’s IGIA upon commencement of operations.
It is situated around 75 km off the national capital, New Delhi and is expected to emerge as a key node in the region’s air connectivity and logistics network, said the news report.
When will flights take off?
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told the news agency that the airport would be inaugurated on October 30 of this year, with flight operations subsequently beginning within the next 45 days. The airport will have 10 routes as of now.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also reiterated the airport’s commercial flight operations to commence by 2025 end.
Billed to be India’s largest airport upon full development before 2050, the project which was started in 2019 and passed the COVID-19 pandemic too was initially scheduled to launch operations in September 2024.
Progress in the airport’s development
The airport is being developed in four phases and so far it has completed key aeronautical infrastructure for Phase 1, including one runway and one passenger terminal with a capacity to handle 12 million passengers every year. Upon completion, it will be capable of handling 70 million passengers annually.
What’s next?
The final hurdle before operations can begin is receiving an aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airport is currently running an extensive Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) programme to ensure a smooth and safe launch.
Once the license is granted to the airport, flight operations will start in close coordination with airlines and other stakeholders.
The project has already created significant employment, with nearly 9,000 workers currently working on-site, and thousands of additional jobs expected to come up in the near future as construction progresses across other phases.
