Noida International Airport in Jewar is edging closer to launch, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to inaugurate the facility in March, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said during a visit to Singapore.
The long-delayed project, positioned as a major aviation hub for northern India, is now backed by a revised master plan that expands capacity from two to five runways and fresh state funding of ₹750 crore for the upcoming financial year.
As per multiple media reports, the first phase will start with one runway and a terminal that can handle 12 million passengers each year. The airport covers 1,334 hectares in Gautam Buddha Nagar district and is being built through a partnership between the Uttar Pradesh government and Zurich Airport International AG, working through its subsidiary Yamuna International Airport Private Limited.
On 31 October 2025, the Airports Authority of India carried out a calibration flight to check the airport’s navigation and communication systems. This is a required step before commercial flights can start.
Expanded vision, bigger ambition
Originally conceived with two runways, the airport’s blueprint has since been widened to five, placing it among India’s largest aviation projects once fully developed. According to reports flagged by The Economic Times, the expansion reflects the state’s ambition to create a multi-runway aviation hub capable of handling sustained traffic growth over the coming decades.
Planned in four phases, the airport aims to reach a total capacity of 152 million passengers annually by 2050, with projected overall investment of ₹29,561 crore.
Terminal 1, covering around 100,000 square metres, includes a 3,900-metre runway, cargo facilities, an air traffic control tower, 10 aerobridges and automated baggage handling systems. Security will be managed by the CISF. The project also carries a stated long-term net-zero emissions objective.
State funding push
For the 2026–27 financial year, the Uttar Pradesh government has proposed spending ₹2,111 crore on civil aviation. Out of this, ₹750 crore is set aside for Jewar airport, and another ₹1,100 crore will go toward expanding airstrips and buying land across the state.
The allocation signals a broader strategy to strengthen regional connectivity and reduce pressure on Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Jewar will become the third commercial airport serving the National Capital Region, alongside Delhi and Hindon.
During his Singapore visit, Adityanath held meetings with senior political and financial leaders to discuss infrastructure investment under the India–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Memorandums of understanding were signed for projects including logistics parks, data centres and integrated townships, underscoring the state’s push to position infrastructure as an investment magnet.
Connectivity and concerns
The airport’s airside facilities are almost ready, but ground transport is still being developed. When the airport opens, most people will get there by road or bus. A 20-acre Ground Transportation Centre is planned to be built in stages until 2030, and will later connect to metro and rapid transit lines.
Several rail links, such as metro extensions and a planned high-speed corridor, are still being built.
There are still concerns about the environment and resettlement. Protecting the nearby Dhanauri Wetlands needs regulatory approval, and some people who lost land have raised concerns about compensation and rehabilitation.
Commercial flights are now expected to start in mid-2026, once all regulatory approvals are in place.
This project is very important for Uttar Pradesh. If it opens on time and grows as planned, Jewar could change the region’s aviation landscape. However, its success will also depend on good transport links, meeting environmental rules, and attracting enough passengers in the first few years.
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