Zurich Airport International emerges as the highest bidder for Jewar Airport

Switzerland’s Zurich Airport International AG on Friday (November 29) emerged as the highest bidder for the proposed airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, beating Adani Group and DIAL.

According to reports, the Switzerland-headquartered company made the highest per-passenger bid for the airport, thereby, outbidding other firms like Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Adani Enterprises, and Anchorage Infrastructure Investments Holdings Limited.

Arun Veer Singh, CEO, Noida International Airport Authority (NIAL), told ANI that the highest bid was quoted by Zurich International Airport, adding "On December 2, Project Monitoring Implementation Committee (PMIC) will evaluate the bid and then the state government will be recommended on the same for further process."

Notably, GMR Group-led DIAL, which operates the Delhi airport, is stated to have the right of first refusal (ROFR) for the upcoming airport project. The GMR Group's ROFR for the Jewar airport was included in the concession accord for the Delhi airport signed in 2006. The agreement allowed the GMR to match the winning bid for an airport within 150 km of the existing Delhi airport.

Earlier on May 30, 2019, the NIAL has floated a global tender to hire a developer for the proposed airport. The NIAL is an agency floated by the Uttar Pradesh government for managing the mega project in Gautam Buddh Nagar district.

Jewar Airport or the Noida International Greenfield Airport will reportedly cover an area of 5,000 hectare when fully constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 29,560 crore.

The airport is set to have six to eight runways, the most in India, when fully prepared for operations. The first phase, spread over 1,334 hectare with a cost Rs 4,588 crore, is expected to be completed by 2023.