Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that the Noida International Airport is expected to be inaugurated later this month, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to preside over the opening.
Noida International Airport Likely to Be Inaugurated This Month, Says UP CM Yogi Adityanath
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow focused on the Union Budget, Yogi Adityanath stated that the airport infrastructure is fully prepared and that the final formalities for securing the mandatory aerodrome licence are nearing completion.
Expressing confidence about the timeline, the chief minister said, “I believe that this month, the airport will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.”
Once operations begin, the Jewar airport will become the second international airport serving the NCR, a move expected to ease the heavy passenger load currently handled by Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The new facility will also mark Uttar Pradesh’s fifth international airport, adding to the existing ones in Lucknow, Varanasi, Kushinagar, and Ayodhya.
Officials familiar with the project said the only significant clearance still pending is the aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is required before commercial flights can begin.
According to these officials, a review meeting is likely to take place this week involving Union civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and representatives of the airport’s management, though they requested anonymity.
The Noida International Airport is being developed as a large public-private partnership on around 1,300 hectares of land in Jewar, located in Gautam Buddh Nagar district.
Zurich Airport’s Indian Arm Developing Noida International Airport Under 40-Year Concession
The project was awarded in October 2020 to Zurich Airport International AG, and is being constructed and operated by its Indian arm, Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd, under a 40-year concession agreement.
Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the airport in November 2021, formally kickstarting construction work on the project.
The first phase of the airport, comprising a single runway and a passenger terminal, was originally scheduled to open in September 2024 but has faced multiple delays since then.
When fully operational in its initial stage, the airport is expected to handle up to 12 million passengers per year, with additional capacity to be added in later phases of development.
Oversight of the project on behalf of the state government is being carried out through a special purpose vehicle, Noida International Airport Ltd.
A major milestone toward operational clearance was achieved on October 31, 2025, when the airport successfully carried out a mandatory calibration flight.
During this test, an Air India aircraft arrived from IGI Airport at around 11.20am and spent several hours flying over and around the facility to assess navigation aids and communication systems.
Officials said the calibration exercise is a crucial requirement for certification, as it verifies that all technical systems meet international aviation safety norms.
A senior NIAL official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, explained the process, saying, “The aircraft came from IGI Airport, and landed after going around the airport four-five times… Now credential authentication technology will be installed for the safety and security paving way for the operations.”
With the calibration flight completed and final security and licensing steps underway, the airport is now considered close to being fully ready for commercial operations.
