CARGOCONNECT-OCTOBER2024 - Flipbook - Page 10
PURPOSEFUL
O
n November 26,
2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
laid the foundation
stone for the Noida
International Airport Ltd (NIAL)
at Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar
district of Uttar Pradesh, marking
a signi昀椀cant milestone in India’s
aviation infrastructure. Strategically positioned approximately
72 km from Indira Gandhi
International Airport, 52 km
from Noida, 130 km from Agra,
and 90 km from the Multimodal
Logistics Hub at Dadri, this ambitious project is set to become a
pivotal hub in India’s aviation
landscape.
In the 2024-25 Budget, the
Uttar Pradesh government has
allocated `1,150 crore for the
development of this mega airport, as announced by Finance
Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna.
This investment, being the latest,
highlights the state’s commitment to building South Asia’s
largest airport and reinforces
Uttar Pradesh’s status as the
state with the highest number
of international airports in
India, with a total of 昀椀ve upon
completion.
The Uttar Pradesh government has already streamlined
10 | CARGOCONNECT OCTOBER 2024
NOIDA
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
INDIA’S NEXT FRONTIER
IN AVIATION
licensing, operations, management, and staff appointments
through an e-tendering system.
NIAL, under the oversight of
Yamuna International Airport
Private Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary
of Zurich Airport International
AG, is expediting various projects,
including infrastructure development and hiring personnel. The
airport’s total development will
span 5,100 hectares, with the
昀椀rst phase currently underway
on 1,334 hectares. The Yamuna
Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has
designated this extensive area,
underscoring the project’s scale
and ambition.
The development of NIAL is
based on a public-private partnership (PPP) model, ensuring a
collaborative approach between
government entities and private investors. The 昀椀rst phase
of the project is set to create a
two-runway airport by 2024,
with future plans to expand to
a six-runway facility covering
7,200 acres. The current runway,
measuring 3.9 km in length and
60 meters in width, is in the 昀椀nal
stages of development. The airport terminal building is also in
the final stages. Most notably,
upon achieving its full operational
capacity, NIAL will not only be
the largest airport in India but
will also secure its position as the
world’s fourth-largest airport in
terms of runway infrastructure.
A critical aspect of the
Jewar Airport project is its role
in alleviating congestion at the
Indira Gandhi International
(IGI) Airport in Delhi. With
IGI Airport nearing its capacity, Jewar Airport’s development comes at a crucial time,
providing an alternative and
relieving pressure on Delhi’s
air transport infrastructure.
The initial expected operational
timeline of 2024 for Jewar Airport was strategically planned,
ensuring readiness ahead of
IGI Airport’s anticipated tra昀케c
handling capacity threshold.
However, construction delays
have pushed the launch of
commercial flights to April
2025. Currently, more than
7,500 workers are readying
the airport.
The selection of Zurich
Airport International AG as the
concessionaire and developer
underscores the international
standards and expertise being
brought to the project. Modelled
after Zurich Airport, the Noida
International Airport aims to
meet world-class standards for
passenger and flight handling
capabilities. It is envisioned as
India’s first transit hub with
aspirations to become a major
Asia-Paci昀椀c transit centre.
