New Delhi, March 6. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an aerodrome licence to the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar, located in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, clearing the way for the facility to commence operations.
The airport is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, under a public-private partnership with the governments of Uttar Pradesh and India. The concession agreement for the project began on October 1, 2021, and will remain in effect for 40 years.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the airport has been licensed for public use and will support all-weather operations. The facility features a 3,900-metre-long and 45-metre-wide runway with an orientation of 10/28. It is equipped with an instrument landing system and advanced aeronautical ground lighting, enabling round-the-clock flight operations.
The aerodrome will initially provide parking stands for 24 Code C aircraft and two Code D/F aircraft and has Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Category 9 capabilities, allowing it to handle large wide-body planes such as the Boeing 777-300ER.
The airport is being developed in four phases along with a multimodal cargo hub. In its first phase, which includes one runway and a single passenger terminal, the airport will have the capacity to handle about 12 million passengers annually. Once all phases are completed, its capacity is expected to reach up to 70 million passengers per year, positioning it as a key aviation hub for the National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh.
The project forms part of the broader push by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to strengthen India’s aviation ecosystem. Over the past decade, the number of operational airports in the country has grown from 74 in 2014 to 164 today, making India the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market.
India is expanding its aviation infrastructure through a combination of new greenfield airports and upgrades to existing brownfield facilities and regional airstrips. These efforts are supported by initiatives such as the UDAN regional connectivity scheme. The government’s long-term roadmap aims to develop more than 400 airports across the country by 2047 to enhance connectivity and support economic growth.
Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu congratulated the Uttar Pradesh government on the milestone, saying the airport will significantly enhance air connectivity for the National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh. He added that the world-class facility is expected to boost regional economic development, tourism and investment, while easing congestion at existing airports in the region.
