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Air travellers from the National Capital Region will soon have another airport to choose from, as Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu confirmed that the Noida International Airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, will be inaugurated on October 30. Flight operations are expected to begin within 45 days of the inauguration.
“We are trying to push the inauguration… Right now, the date that we have decided is October 30,” Naidu said during a visit to Hindon Airport on Yatri Sewa Diwas.
Asked about connectivity, Naidu said airlines see “huge potential” in the region, and at least ten cities will be linked in the first phase. “The flights will connect Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, and primarily all metro cities. We are in talks with Indigo, but there is no confirmation as of now,” he added.
Naidu also announced a nationwide airport upgrade plan. “Free WiFi facilities will be provided to both domestic and international passengers at all airports within the next two months. Secondly… reading while travelling has evolved in recent times, and so we are looking forward to providing a free library and developing a kids zone at all airports,” he said.
Describing the Noida airport as a “strategic civil aviation hub” with strong cargo potential, Naidu noted, “Construction at the site has picked up. We are hopeful that it will be finished soon and that, in the first phase, one runway will become operational.”
Christoph Schnellmann, CEO of Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), the Zurich Airport subsidiary developing the project, said the facility will blend Indian hospitality with Swiss efficiency. “It will be warm and welcoming for passengers but distinct from other airports that one would travel to in India — from the architecture, to design elements, artwork, food and beverage, restaurants with local cuisine,” he said.
“For instance, Raj ki Galiyan will feature vegetarian food from Vrindavan, Mathura… We want it to be an airport that’s quite easy to use for passengers and airlines… It’s an airport with clear architecture, it would be easy to find your way… There are short distances, and there will be short transfer times,” Schnellmann added.
“We have tried to make it very much at home in western UP. From the choice of the granite to the architectural features in the forecourt, we picked up the idea of the Gods — whether it’s Varanasi or Haridwar. The ornamentation, the lattice screens, and the artwork that we commissioned are built on traditional artwork in UP,” he said.
Currently, Indira Gandhi International Airport near Delhi-Gurgaon serves as the primary hub for NCR travellers. Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad, a defence base, has operated domestic flights since 2019.
Located nearly 60 km from Noida, the Jewar facility is expected to boost connectivity for western UP and support global investment projects, including newly announced semiconductor manufacturing centres.
The concession agreement for the airport was signed in October 2020, with Tata Projects awarded the construction contract in June 2022. Once completed, the airport will handle around 12 million passengers annually in its first phase.
Naidu also addressed recent disruptions at Hindon Airport. “We have requested the state government for 9 acres of land. Once the survey of the land is complete and we get the land, we will increase the size of the terminal building,” he said. “We are also in talks with the Indian Air Force to increase the number of parking bases.”
