Noida International Airport (NIA) on Friday appointed Neetu Samra as its chief executive officer (CEO) on an interim basis after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) refused to allow Christoph Schnellmann to continue.
Samra’s appointment comes three days after the government refused to amend a rule requiring the CEO of the new airport to be an Indian citizen.
The airport, developed and operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Limited, is a subsidiary of Swiss company Zurich Airport International AG with Christoph Schnellmann, a Swiss national, as its CEO.
HT was the first to report on 16 December 2025 that his appointment was in violation of aviation security standards at new airports.
In a statement announcing Samra’s appointment, Noida Airport acknowledged the circumstances. “This change follows the directive issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the CEO of any airport in India must be an Indian citizen,” it added.
“With immediate effect, Neetu Samra has been appointed as CEO on an interim basis, until the Board of Directors can complete the formal selection process,” the NIA said.
Christoph Schnellmann, who has led Noida International Airport as CEO since August 2020, will join the airport’s board of directors as Deputy CEO. “In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations,” the airport said in a statement.
Samra has been the airport’s CFO since October 2021, and has been closely involved in the development of the airport, overseeing financial oversight, governance and strategic planning during a key phase of the project.
The aim is to enable operations to begin as soon as possible, said Daniel Bircher, Chairman, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited. “This management change brings the airport into compliance with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Security Office while maintaining continuity in the airport leadership team,” he said.
“The newly formed team will support a smooth transition to operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture,” he added.
The officials said the BCAS notice was issued after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refused permission to change the rule requiring an Indian to be the head of a new airport in view of security of air operations.
BCAS notified the airport of the decision on Tuesday evening.
The legal basis for this requirement is the BCAS AVSEC Order dated January 17, 2011. Officials confirmed that efforts to amend this rule date back to 2022, when the issue first emerged.
