DGCA grants aerodrome licence to Noida International Airport at Jewar

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday granted the aerodrome licence to Yamuna International Airport Private Limited for the soon-to-open Noida International Airport at Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The licence allows the airport to operate for public use and clears the way for commercial flight operations once final preparations are completed, officials said on Friday.

Developed under a public-private partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of India, the airport is expected to significantly expand aviation capacity in the National Capital Region and improve connectivity across western Uttar Pradesh.

The airport is being developed by YIAPL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG. The concession period for the project began on October 1, 2021, and will run for 40 years.

Officials said the airport had been licensed for all-weather operations under the public use category. The aerodrome features a runway with orientation 10/28 measuring 3,900 metres in length and 45 metres in width. It is equipped with an Instrument Landing System and Aeronautical Ground Lighting, enabling round-the-clock operations.

The facility has parking stands for 24 Code C aircraft and two Code D or F aircraft. It also has Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Category 9 infrastructure, allowing it to handle wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER.

The airport is being developed in four phases along with a multi-modal cargo hub. In the first phase, with one runway and one passenger terminal, the airport will have the capacity to handle around 12 million passengers annually. After all phases are completed, the airport is expected to handle up to 70 million passengers each year.

The project is part of the broader effort by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to strengthen India’s aviation infrastructure. Over the past decade, the number of operational airports in the country has increased from 74 in 2014 to 164 today. India has also become the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market.

The government is expanding aviation connectivity through the development of greenfield airports and the modernisation of existing brownfield airports and regional airstrips, supported by the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the development of Noida International Airport would strengthen air connectivity for the National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh. He said the airport was expected to boost economic activity, tourism and investment while easing congestion at existing airports in the region.