The Noida International Airport (NIA) or Jewar airport -- the twin of New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport -- is all set to welcome its first flight in April 2025, amid construction delays. The Initial date for the launch of flight operations was September 2024. However, the airport's debut was delayed due to several unforeseen challenges, like environmental clearances and construction issues.
The Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, is developing the Noida International Airport. The airport spread over an area of 1,334 acres will not only serve as a major aviation hub in India is also expected to bolster regional connectivity, economic growth, and tourism.
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Final stages before take-off
* Calibration and Validation flights
* Aerodrome License
One of the airport runways, measuring 3.9 km in length and 60 meters in width, is currently in the final stages of development with the calibration flights for the Instrument Landing System (ILS) scheduled in the next few weeks.
The Airport Authority of India will manage these calibration flights. Looking at the close proximity to Delhi Airport, the authorities have paid special attention to make sure to allocate exclusive flight paths for both airports to avoid any potential conflict.
Although the runway work is almost complete, some work on the lighting is still pending, says Dinesh Jamwal, project head, NIA. The final layer of the runway has been completed and the installation of airfield ground lighting is underway.
"Marking for lighting is underway, and this work is expected to be finished in the next two months," Jamwal said.
The runway is designed with efficient drainage in place to avoid waterlogging during heavy rains. Once this is done, a private carrier will conduct validation flights to assess approach and departure procedures in December 2024.
The validation process involves using a specially-equipped aircraft to ensure that operational procedures meet rigorous safety and compliance standards.
Speaking about the work in progress at the airport, Kiran Jain, chief operating officer, YIAPL says that successful completion of these flights is a prerequisite for YIAPL to apply for the aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
If everything goes as per plan, this December, the much-awaited NIA will finally see its first passenger flights take off.
In the first phase, the airport will have one runway, one terminal and a passenger handling capacity of 12 million. The airport masterplan has six runways almost double the number of runways at Delhi Airport, with a capacity to handle crores of passengers annually.
Touted to be one of the largest airports in Asia, this airport will considerably reduce the burden on Delhi airport. Hence, it is a no-brainer that most of domestic as well as international airlines have expressed their interest in beginning operations from the airport.
IndiGo and Akasa Air have already entered into an agreement with the airport.
Speaking about the scheduled flights at the airport, Arun Vir Singh, chief executive, NIA confirmed that four domestic flights will be operational by December 29, 2024. "Going ahead, by February 2025, more flights will be flying out."
Terminal Depicts Rich Cultural Heritage
The design of the passenger terminal will the rich architectural heritage of North India and western Uttar Pradesh.
The design aims to incorporate local architectural elements, celebrating the region’s cultural heritage. The entry of the terminal is inspired by the iconic Varanasi ghats that will offer the passengers a unique cultural experience.
The terminal, featuring 10 gates, is nearly complete, and the apron area where passengers will board their flights is also ready.
Several boarding bridges have already been delivered to the site. Besides the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower is also nearing completion.
Cargo Terminal And Multi-Modal Cargo Hub
Air India SATS is responsible for designing, constructing, and operating the cargo terminal and multimodal cargo hub. The facility will have a capacity for over 1 lakh tonnes of cargo and it is designed in a modular fashion to grow with the demand.
Christoph Schnellmann, the chief executive of NIA noted that the development work on the cargo terminal is also progressing rapidly.
Ground Service Equipment
The airport will have a fully electric fleet of ground service equipment and offer passengers a paperless digital-driven experience as it targets opening by April 2025.
Giving an update on the airport ground handling, Schnellmann said, "Our ground-handling partner Bird Group will ensure to employ a fully electric fleet of ground service equipment. This will help reduce the carbon footprint at the airport, paving the way for more sustainable operations."
The ground service equipment includes aircraft pushback tractors, baggage tractors, and cargo loaders.
Digitalisation
Passengers will be able to access all features of the airport on their mobile devices with an active website. The airport will also feature self-bag drops and self-boarding. All gates will be DigiYatra-enabled. This will allow swift and secure biometric-based paperless seamless travel. Innovations along with user-friendly infrastructure will ensure a seamless and hassle-free passenger experience.
Salient Features of NIA
First of Its Kind in India: Noida International Airport will be the first in India designed for multi-cargo operations and to achieve net-zero emissions.
Six Runways: The airport will feature six runways, compared to Delhi Airport's three.
Aircraft Parking: The airport will have the capacity to park 178 aircraft simultaneously.
Investment and Cost: The estimated cost for the construction is Rs 10,000 crore, with projected investment of Rs 35,000 crore over the next few years.
Passenger Capacity: Initially, the airport is expected to handle approximately 1 crore 20 lakh passengers annually, with plans to expand capacity to 7 crore passengers by 2040-50.
Stands: The airport will have 186 aircraft stands.
Challenges Before Jewar Airport
In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport in Jewar. However, since inception the airport work is facing major challenges and roadblocks.
One of the major challenges preventing the airport from opening as scheduled is the pending second phase of environmental clearance. The airport authorities need to clear this critical approval before commencing scheduled flights.
The approval is facing delays as it needs to translocate 111 animals, including blackbucks, peafowl, and deer, from the future airport site. The animals have to be relocated to the nearby Dhanauri wetland site. This area is recognized for its ecological sensitivity.
The airport has already received the first stage of clearance by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), prior to construction. However, the clearance prior to operations is still pending.
The MOEFCC has granted a grace period of three months to obtain this crucial clearance. Singh has expressed optimism about obtaining the clearance on time.
Published: 01 Sept 2024, 03:14 pm IST
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