The long-awaited Noida International Airport is set to open for operations on June 15, marking a key development for air travel in northern India. Located in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district, the new airport is expected to reduce pressure on Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the country’s busiest aviation hubs.
Security clearance sets timeline
The airport recently received approval for its Aerodrome Security Programme (ASP) from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. This clearance initiates a mandatory 45-day countdown before commercial operations can begin. Officials have already begun reaching out to airlines about ticket bookings, although a confirmed launch date for bookings has yet to be announced.
According to the airport operator, IndiGo will operate the first passenger flight from the facility. Other carriers, including Akasa Air and Air India Express, are expected to begin services soon after. Early discussions suggest domestic routes connecting cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
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IndiGo is likely to dominate initial operations in terms of flight frequency. Meanwhile, Air India Express is preparing to run twice-daily services between Noida and Bengaluru, indicating strong early connectivity plans.
International plans in the pipeline
While domestic operations will take priority at launch, international expansion is already on the horizon. Airlines from West Asia and Southeast Asia have shown interest in operating from the airport. These services are expected to roll out once domestic traffic stabilises in the coming months.
The first phase of the project has been developed at an estimated cost of ₹11,200 crore under a public-private partnership model. It will feature a single runway and terminal capable of handling around 12 million passengers annually.
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Once all four planned phases are completed, the airport’s capacity is projected to rise significantly, accommodating up to 70 million passengers each year.
The airport, situated along the Yamuna Expressway, is designed to serve as a major aviation hub for the National Capital Region (NCR). With its launch, authorities expect smoother passenger flow, improved regional connectivity, and reduced congestion at Delhi’s primary airport.
