Commercial operations began at Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar on Monday, with inaugural flights to and from Lucknow and Bengaluru, and a charter flight to the state capital carrying farmers, whose land has been acquired for the facility that is expected to boost the aviation network in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who announced the chartered plane and the maiden flight to Bengaluru, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an airport serving a huge catchment area has become a reality. He congratulated the farmers who donated their land for what he described as an important and prestigious project to make the airport a reality
Naidu said that the first charter flight to carry farmers to Lucknow was the idea of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “It is a symbol of respect that we want to extend to the farmers so that they meet the Prime Minister.”
Naidu called Noida International Airport “another gem” in the national capital region after Delhi and Hindon (Ghaziabad) airports. Pointing out the huge catchment area of the new airport, he said it could cater to the needs of the historic city of Agra as well due to the expressway network and the proposed high-speed rail corridor.
He said that wherever an airport begins operations, there is huge economic activity accumulating around it. “…It is the vision of the State Government as well as the Government of India…to see the Noida International Airport grow as a…transport hub…it should in true sense be an airport city.” [subregion centered around an airport]Naidu said.
Naidu said the government is keen to have multiple industries around Jewar, creating a strong economic base and jobs. He added that no state has as many airports as Uttar Pradesh and that all metro cities will have a second airport.
Noida International Airport Vice President Christoph Schnellmann said that years of planning, cooperation and dedicated efforts of tens of thousands of people have made the new airport a reality. It has been built with the vision and support of Uttar Pradesh and Union governments, partners, stakeholders and local communities, he added.
In March, Modi inaugurated the 137,985 square meter Noida International Airport. It is the second international airport in the National Capital Region and includes a cargo hub with an initial handling capacity of more than 250,000 metric tons per year, expandable to approximately 1.8 million metric tons. The airport’s initial capacity will be 12 million passengers annually, which can be increased to 70 million.
The first phase of the airport was developed at an estimated cost $11,200 crores. It is envisioned as a multimodal transportation hub with connectivity via road, rail, metro and regional transit systems.
A multi-layered security system, artificial intelligence-based surveillance and nearly 1,030 personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force have been deployed at the airport. The Uttar Pradesh Police also opened a dedicated police station at the airport.
