Noida: Construction of the much-awaited Noida International Airport is nearing completion and the facility, which will be the country's largest airport, is likely to be declared open by September 2024. As the works progress, the Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) stated they are planning to develop the airport into a transit hub for international airlines travelling to Asia-Pacific countries.
In transit hubs, international airlines halt for hours before they take off to another country. The officials hope that the airport will attract more air traffic if it is declared a transit hub.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NIAL, Arun Vir Singh, they have moved the proposal to the ministry of civil aviation for permission. The airport is being constructed near Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh.
The NIAL's key focus will be on airlines operating to Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.
The airport management has already started discussions with Indian and foreign airlines and many of them have reportedly expressed their interest in making the airport a transit hub. Companies such as Indigo, Air Asia, Air India and Vistara have shown their interest and NIAL has asked the private concessionaire, Zurich AG, to carry forward the talks with the airlines, senior airport officials told the media.
Reviewing the work of the Noida international airport, UP Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra recently stated that the first phase of the airport will hopefully be dedicated to the public in September next year. Flights will start immediately after the official launch. Flughafen Zürich AG, the operator of Zurich Airport in Switzerland had won the bid to build and operate the airport for 40 years.
This airport with two runways would have a capacity of 70 million people per year and will cost over Rs 30,000 crore.
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