Noida International Airport's Runway, Terminal Building Takes Shape; Ops To Begin In 2024

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Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, is developing the greenfield airport at Jewar in Noida (Gautam Buddh Nagar), some 75 km off Delhi, for the Uttar Pradesh government. The new international airport is estimated to be the biggest airport in India, once fully operational. Called the Noida International Airport, this will be the second airport in Delhi-NCR, serving the rising air traffic in the national capital region. Currently, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport operated by GMR is the busiest and biggest airport in India, with three terminals. 

YIAPL CEO Christoph Schnellmann recently said earthwork was completed earlier this year and vertical construction has started including on the terminal building and runway. Over 2,600 workers along with more than 400 machines are on site and work for the first phase of the Noida International Airport is on track for timely completion, officials said. The first phase of the Noida Airport is expected to be operationalized by the end of 2024. 

"The development of the airport is making significant headway and is on track for timely completion," reported PTI quoting Schnellmann. "We are working hand in hand with the state government and the Union government to deliver the airport as per the terms of our concession agreement. Together we will achieve the opening of the airport by the end of the next year."

The airport is billed to be India's largest upon completion in four phases and will be spread over an area of 5,000 sq hectares. Project COO Kiran Jain said, "The first phase would be spread in an area of over 1,300 hectares and is expected to be ready by the end of next year."

There will be a 3,900-metre-long runway and a terminal building with an annual passenger handling capacity of 1.2 crore upon completion of the first phase, Jain added. To date, NIA partners have completed over 42 lakh man-hours of work without injury, it said in a statement. So far 32,000 cubic metres of concrete and 14,000 tons of steel have been used in construction, it added.