Noida, Sep 21 (PTI) The Noida International Airport (NIA), being developed as a greenfield aviation hub in Jewar, Gautam Buddh Nagar, is on track to begin operations by the end of this year.

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu recently told reporters that the airport would be inaugurated on October 30 and flight operations begin within next 45 days with 10 routes.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also reiterated the airport's commercial flight operations to commence by 2025 end.

Billed to be India's largest airport upon full development before 2050, the project -- which started in 2019 and saw COVID-19 pandemic too -- was initially scheduled to launch operations in September 2024.

The airport, which is being developed in four phases, has completed key aeronautical infrastructure for Phase 1, including one runway and one passenger terminal with an annual capacity to handle 12 million passengers.

Technical installations and finishing works inside the terminal are underway, while an extensive Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) programme is in progress.

"Phase 1 construction is progressing steadily, and the airport remains on schedule for commissioning this year. The validation flight was successfully completed in December 2024, confirming the readiness of our navigational aids, approach procedures, and ATC systems," NIA Chief Executive Officer Christoph Schnellmann told PTI.

The next major milestone is the issuance of the aerodrome licence by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Upon obtaining regulatory clearance, flight operations will commence in close coordination with airlines and other stakeholders, ensuring a smooth and safe launch.

Notably, the airport's runway will be CAT III-compliant, enabling operations during low visibility conditions such as dense fog -- an essential feature for North India's weather conditions.

The NIA has already announced IndiGo as its launch carrier, while Akasa Air will operate both domestic and international flights from the facility.

Talks are going on with several international carriers.

"Airlines from the Middle East and Southeast Asia have shown strong interest in operating from NIA. Route planning and slot allocation discussions are underway, and further announcements will be made closer to the start of operations," Schnellmann said.

As part of its broader aviation ecosystem, NIA is also advancing on cargo and MRO infrastructure. The cargo terminal, developed in partnership with Air India SATS, is nearing completion and will begin its own ORAT programme soon. The hub will serve as a multi-modal cargo hub (MMCH), strategically located to cater to major industrial and commercial centres in northern India.

Additionally, the airport has invited expressions of interest for a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility and has received "very strong interest", the CEO said.

The MRO initiative is part of the airport's long-term vision to become "a comprehensive aviation hub".

The project has also generated significant employment, with nearly 9,000 workers currently employed on-site, and thousands of additional jobs expected in the future as construction progresses across other phases. The airport will eventually be capable of handling 70 million passengers annually upon full development.

The NIA is being built under a public-private partnership model, with Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) -- a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International -- as the concessionaire.

Located adjacent to the Yamuna Expressway, the airport will be NCR's second international facility after Delhi's IGIA.

Situated some 75 km off the national capital, its catchment area includes Delhi-NCR, including parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh, and expects to emerge as a key node in the region's air connectivity and logistics network. PTI KIS HVA