India begins construction of Noida International Airport (NIA)
India has begun construction of its new international airport in Jewar. The new airport called Noida International Airport (NIA) will be situated near the capital city of New Delhi, in the western part of the Uttar Pradesh region.
On November 25, 2021, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, held the foundation-laying ceremony, marking the first phase of construction of Noida International Airport.
A futuristic, people-friendly Noida airport! pic.twitter.com/ImqUVAVUuf
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2021
“Now in three years the airport will be ready and change the lives of everyone in the region. It will be a massive boost to the economy in all spheres like agriculture, manufacturing, services, and for all walks of society from small farmers to industries here,” Modi said.
Noida International Airport is scheduled to be operational in September 2024. By that time, Noida will have two runways with the capability to handle 12 million passengers every year. The first phase of development will cost approximately INR 10,000 crore.
“By the last phase of development, the Noida International Airport will even surpass Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and become India’s leading airport,” Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia announced during the foundation-laying ceremony on November 25.
The final phase of development is scheduled to be completed between 2040 and 2050 with the capability to handle 70 million passengers every year. In comparison, India’s busiest airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), currently has a capability to handle 69 million passengers annually, according to its official website.
The new airport is a joint project between the Government of Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi Okhla Industrial Development Authority, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, according to Noida’s International Airport official website.
The airport will be developed by Yamuna International Airport (YIAPL), in which Zurich Airport International AG has 100% shareholding.
