The Noida International Airport will be inaugurated on October 30, and flight operations are expected to start 45 days thereafter, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has said. Spanning over 1,334 hectares, the Jewar project will provide the National Capital Region (NCR) with its second full-fledged commercial airport, complementing Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
Phase one will feature a single runway and a terminal with a capacity of 12 million passengers annually. The facility is expected to scale to 70 million passengers over four phases. According to Naidu, Jewar Airport holds significant promise, not only for passenger connectivity but also for its strategic role in cargo operations. “We see it as more than civil aviation connectivity — it will be a major cargo hub as well,” he said.
The project, which was initially slated for completion in September 2024, faced several delays, pushing its target to mid-2025. However, officials now say the project is back on track, with a ₹10 lakh daily penalty imposed by the Uttar Pradesh government since January due to these delays.
The runway, ATC tower, and terminal structure are now nearly complete. Aerobridges, baggage systems, and e-gates have been installed, with final touches being made to seating, lighting, and galleries. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has also granted security clearance for airside infrastructure, and Operational Readiness and Transition (ORAT) trials are in full swing.
IndiGo and Akasa Air are among the first carriers set to operate from Jewar, with IndiGo having conducted a validation flight in December 2023. Flights to cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata are under discussion for the airport’s initial phase.
In addition to the Jewar project, Naidu revealed passenger-centric initiatives for airports nationwide, including free WiFi and library facilities within the next two to three months, along with dedicated kids’ zones at every airport.
