Noida International Airport (NIA) has appointed Nitu Samra as its interim CEO, replacing Christoph Schnellmann, just three days after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) denied Schnellmann's approval to continue in his role.
The change comes after BCAS directed that the CEO of an Indian airport must be an Indian national, following a Union home ministry decision to reject a request to tweak rules allowing a foreign national to hold the post of CEO of a greenfield airport.
Nitu Samra, who has been serving as CFO of NIAL since October 2021, has been appointed on an interim basis until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process.
Christoph Schnellmann, who has been CEO of NIA since August 2020, will now join the airport's board of directors as executive vice chairman, continuing to support the project and its transition to operations.
The management change brings the airport into compliance with BCAS requirements while maintaining continuity in the Noida airport's leadership team.
