The Noida International Airport is expected to begin operations within the next two months after receiving an aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The license, granted under the Public Use category for all-weather operations, clears the airport's last hurdle before launch.
Cargo and domestic flight operations are expected to begin within 45 days, as mandated under the project plan.
The airport, spread across 1,300 hectares in Uttar Pradesh's Jewar, has cleared its ultimate hurdle and is set to kickstart operations.
Initially scheduled for September 2024, the airport's inauguration was pushed back due to concerns over potential interference with the Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (DVOR) and a steel wall near the DVOR.
However, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has granted clearance on the condition that a permanent wall is built within six months.
Expected to handle about 12 million passengers annually in its first phase, the Noida International Airport is being developed as the national capital region's second major airport after Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
The facility features a runway with orientation 10/28 and dimensions of 3,900 m × 45 m, supported by an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Aeronautical Ground Lighting (AGL) system, enabling 24×7 operations.
The project was awarded in October 2020 to Zurich Airport International AG, which is developing and operating the airport through its Indian subsidiary, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), under a 40-year public-private partnership.
