Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar district on Saturday. The airport is set to become the largest in India once its construction is completed, with the capacity to handle 225 million passengers annually, officials said.
The Noida International Airport will serve as the main international hub for cities including Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura and Agra. It will also provide access to many religious and tourist sites.
Follow live updates on the opening of Noida Airport here.
The big question now is when will flight operations begin? Notably, the airport, which was finally opened after several delays in the launch, has already obtained an airport license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a crucial step before operations begin.
Read also | 3,900 meter long runway, will be India’s largest when completed: 5 key features of Noida International Airport
When were flight operations expected to begin?
- The project has witnessed repeated delays. It was scheduled to first open in September 2024, then was postponed to mid-2025 for later opening and continued operations.
- In 2025, flights from Noida Airport were expected to begin on April 17, 2025, with about 30 flights planned to various destinations around the world. At the time, officials told HT that 25 of these planned flights would be domestic, three international and two cargo flights. International routes included Zurich, Singapore and Dubai. Domestic routes have been planned in Lucknow, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dehradun and Hubli among others.
- The opening was later rescheduled to October 30, 2025, and is expected to begin operations within 45 days, initially connecting at least 10 cities.
When will commercial flights start now?
- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued the airport license for the airport on March 6, 2026. Following this approval, cargo and domestic flights were expected to begin within 45 days, according to the project plan.
- This suggests that commercial aviation services may begin between mid-April and May 2026.
- International flight services are likely to start from September this year, officials told HT earlier.
- Bookings for international flights will open about 90 days before the airport begins operations, while domestic tickets will be available about six weeks in advance.
How many flights will take off in the first phase? What sites will be covered?
- There is no confirmed figure yet on the number of flights that will operate from Noida Airport or the destinations that will be included in the first phase.
- However, as officials told HT earlier, domestic flights are likely to start first to major metro cities. These cities may include Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and others, as planned.
