Three days after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) refused to approve Noida Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann to continue in his position, the airport management on Friday announced the appointment of Neetu Samra as its interim CEO.
“This change follows the directive issued by BCAS that the CEO of an airport in India must be an Indian citizen,” a statement from Noida International Airport (NIA) said.
The announcement comes three days after the Union Home Ministry rejected a request to amend the rules to allow a foreign national to take over as CEO of a new airport, keeping in mind the security of air operations.
The decision directly affects Noida Airport, which is developed and managed by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Swiss company Zurich Airport International AG of which Swiss national Schnellmann is CEO.
The rejection implies that the already tardy airport CEO will have to be replaced. Written information was sent to the airport on Tuesday evening.
On December 16, 2025, HT was the first to report that the NIA CEO being a foreign national had violated aviation security norms at the new airports.
“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 airport said.
Schnelman, who has served as CEO of NIA since August 2020, will join the airport’s board of directors as executive vice president.
“In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations,” the airport said.
Samra has been CFO of NIAL 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.
YIAPL Chairman Daniel Bircher said: “Following the inauguration of Noida International Airport by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in March 2026, the aim was to enable operations to commence as soon as possible. This management change brings the airport into compliance with BCAS requirements while maintaining continuity in the Noida Airport leadership team.”
“The newly formed team will support a smooth transition to operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture,” he added.
As per BCAS AVSEC (Aviation Security) Order dated 17 January 2011: “The Executive Director of Indian Nationality at each new Indian Airport and the Airport Director or Airport Management in charge of AAI [Airports Authority of India] Airports served by civil flights The security coordinator is at the airports concerned and is responsible for coordinating the implementation of security procedures in accordance with the legal provisions and instructions issued by BCAS.
While the matter was raised in 2022 and discussions were mooted to amend the rule later in 2023, no conclusion was reached.
