Jewar Airport Construction Delays Push Back April Opening Deadline

The Noida International Airport, also known as Jewar Airport, is yet to finish construction of the terminal building, making it impossible to obtain the necessary security clearances for operations to begin.

This will be the second delay for the airport, which was first set to open in September last year and then postponed to April.

The completion of upper floors that are meant for international passengers would take longer, implying that international flights may not be part of the initial launch due to unfinished work, according to people familiar with the matter.

A high-level meeting chaired by DGCA Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai was held this week to review the progress of the airport's development. It was found that only 70% of the lower floors of the terminal, meant for domestic passengers, have been completed so far, the people said.

The airport may begin cargo operations initially, the people said, adding that the launch of passenger operations may get pushed to July or even further.

Besides, key regulatory approvals are still pending. These include the aerodrome license, which the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is expected to issue by late April or early May. Clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation is also required.

Furthermore, the Airports Authority of India has postponed the release of the Aeronautical Information Publication, or AIP, originally scheduled for Thursday, due to incomplete work at the airport. The AIP is crucial for air navigation, and its publication will enable the initiation of essential processes such as ticketing and flight scheduling.

"The Airports Authority of India is making progress with its work in the air traffic control tower, and construction of the passenger terminal and associated infrastructure is progressing well," a spokesperson of Noida International Airport said in a response via text message to NDTV Profit's queries.

"We have submitted our application for the aerodrome license in January and are working closely with the aviation and security regulators to complete all necessary steps, including the publication of the Aerodrome Information Publication," the spokesperson said, adding that the airport is "advancing steadily" toward operational readiness.

A final decision on the launch date is expected on March 10, following a review of the project's progress by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in consultation with other stakeholders and officials from the aviation ministry, according to the people familiar with the matter.

Noida International Airport is being developed by Zurich Airport in partnership with the Uttar Pradesh government. Tata Power and Tata Projects hold power supply and engineering contracts for Noida airport.

The construction of what will be the country's largest greenfield airport began three years ago. In the first phase, the airport will have a single runway and one terminal, with the capacity to handle 1.2 crore passengers annually. Once all four phases are completed, the airport's total capacity will rise to seven crore passengers per year.