Noida International Airport flight operations to begin in April 2025
GREATER NOIDA: The commercial operations at the Noida International airport in Jewar is expected to commence by end of April 2025. However, the calibration flights for the Instrument Landing System (ILS) by Airport Authority of India (AAl) are expected to take place next month in September, said Christoph Schnellmann, the chief executive officer of Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) on Thursday.
As per officials, upon successful completion of trials, the validation flights for approach and departure procedures will be operated by a commercial airline without passengers in December. “Once the trial is completed and clearance is given, we will apply for the aerodrome license from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and we expect to have the first flight by April 2025,” Schnellmann said.
The commercial operations were earlier slated to begin in September, but a supply chain issue which disrupted the import of a specialised steel used in building the roof of the airport terminal building has delayed the process.
“NIA has demonstrated remarkable progress in the two years since the initiation of construction activity. Upon completion, the airport is poised to assume a pivotal role in the expansion of Indian aviation,” said officials.
Detailing over the progress of construction, NIA officials said that the Passenger terminal taking shape.
“Work on façades and roof is in progress, installation of the baggage handling system is approaching completion, and MEP and finishing works are well underway. The asphalt works on the runway have been concluded. Efforts on runway markings, approach lights, and airfield ground lighting persist,” a senior NIA officer informed.
“The MEP works and finishing works are advancing at the ATC Tower, while navigational aids such as DVOR have been calibrated, and preparations for the Instrument Landing System (ILS) calibration are underway. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with IndiGo and Akasa Air have been executed, while substantial interest from other domestic and international carriers has been observed,” the officer added.
The first phase of the airport will feature one runway and one terminal, with the capacity to handle traffic of 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion of all four development phases, the airport will be able to cater to 70 million passengers per year.
