DGCA grants aerodrome licence

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted an aerodrome licence to the Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, marking a key milestone for the project as it moves closer to becoming a major aviation hub for the National Capital Region.

The licence has been issued to Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), the developer of the airport and a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG.

The airport is being developed under a public-private partnership between the Uttar Pradesh government and the Union government. The concession agreement for the project came into effect on October 1, 2021, and is valid for 40 years.

Licensed under the ‘Public Use’ category for all-weather operations, the airport will feature a runway measuring 3,900 metres in length and 45 metres in width, oriented in the 10/28 direction. It will also be equipped with an Instrument Landing System and Aeronautical Ground Lighting to enable round-the-clock operations.

The facility will include parking bays for 24 Code C aircraft and Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting services of Category 9, allowing wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER to operate from the airport.

The project is being developed in four phases and will include a multi-modal cargo hub. In the first phase, the airport will have one runway and a terminal capable of handling 12 million passengers annually. Once all four phases are completed, the airport is expected to handle up to 70 million passengers each year.

Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the airport would strengthen aviation infrastructure and boost tourism and economic growth in the National Capital Region and Uttar Pradesh.