Noida airport conducts first flight validation test

An Airbus A320 plane from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) landed at Noida International Airport, also known as the Jewar airport, on Monday, marking a crucial step in the commencement of commercial operations at the facility in Greater Noida.

Scheduled to begin operations in April 2025, the facility situated along the Yamuna Expressway will be the second major airport in NCR after Delhi’s IGI airport. In its first phase, the airport will have one terminal building and one runway, with a passenger capacity of 12 million per year. After the completion of the fourth phase, the airport will have the capacity to manage 70 million passengers per year.

Concessionaire Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Swiss firm Zurich International Airport AG, is building the airport for the Uttar Pradesh government in a public-private partnership model.

The IndiGo flight, designated a validation flight, was conducted to verify the airport’s approach procedures, the accuracy and functionality of its navigational aids and air traffic control systems.

The validation flight is an important element for the aerodrome licensing process, a key requirement for running commercial operations. After the validation flight, the airport will complete the necessary documentation for aerodrome certification and submit it to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“Today marks a very important day as we have done the validation flight today at the Noida International Airport. NIA is the most prestigious airport in the country because of the idea of catering Delhi NCR and Western Uttar Pradesh,” said civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, who was present to welcome the validation flight.

“We are committed to finish the project by the end of April…50 Million man hours have been put into this project without any incident,” he said.

Spread across 1,334 hectares, the airport is being developed in four phases with an investment of ₹29,650 crore. The first phase, costing ₹10,056 crore, is designed to cater to 12 million passengers annually. Zurich International AG will manage the airport for the next 40 years.

Naidu credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “boom in civil aviation in India”.

“The Noida International airport is a project to be proud of for the entire country and also for the world. This ambitious project is about to get completed as the work is going on as per the timelines. The first credit for the successful completion of this project goes to the farmers, who gave their agricultural land for this project and also to the workers who are building it with dedication. The project is scheduled to be completed by April end, 2025 and the validation flight proves the fact that the project will start commercial operations as per the fixed deadline,” said Naidu.

“As of now Uttar Pradesh leads with the highest number of operational airports, reaching 17 by April end, 2025. This growth is attributed to collaborative efforts between the central and state governments,” said Naidu.

This validation flight was achieved after the successful calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) systems by the Airports Authority of India and successful Simulator trials of the RNP (Required Navigation Performance) procedures that took place in October this year, said officials.

Christoph Schnellmann, CEO, Noida International Airport, said, “The successful completion of validation flights at Noida International Airport is a proud moment for our entire team. This milestone reflects the dedication and meticulous planning that has gone into ensuring the airport is ready for commercial operations. We are gearing up for the airport’s opening and look forward to welcoming passengers to the airport.”

Arun Vir Singh, CEO of NIAL and also the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), said the required documentation for the aerodrome licensing will soon be submitted to DGCA.

“The project is set to boost growth in this region. The airport project will fuel the economy of not only western Uttar Pradesh but also adjoining states, including Rajasthan and Haryana,” Singh said.

Gautam Budh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh MLA, UP additional chief secretary SP Goyal, Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Maneesh Kumar Verma and senior NIAL officials were also present on the occasion.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the airport on November 25, 2021. Following this, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made several visits to oversee progress, ensuring that work was carried out with the highest quality standards,” the UP government said in a statement.

Currently, four cities in UP — Lucknow, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Kushinagar — have international airports.