NOIDA: THE upcoming Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar will be a trans-shipment hub for the country once it starts operations in 2022-23, according to the development plan of the Techno Economic Feasibility Report (TEFR) prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
As per the report, the airport is expected to cater to 2.5 million tons of cargo in the next two decades. The first phase is expected to cater to 0.5 million tons of cargo, which is estimated to increase to 2.6 million tons by 2045 as 51 per cent of cargo traffic at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport is being generated in the primary hinterland of NIA. The primary hinterland for NIA includes Mathura, Agra, Aligarh, Palwal, Greater Noida, Noida, Meerut and Ghaziabad.
Speaking to The Morning Standard, Arun Vir Singh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Noida International Airport Limited, the entity floated by the Uttar Pradesh government for implementing the airport project, said that 51 per cent of the current cargo traffic being handled by the IGI airport at Delhi is from Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts, with an investment of Rs 1.20 lakh million. Other districts, including Gurugram, Jhajjar and Faridabad contribute about 30 per cent of the cargo to IGI. “The main commodities being handled include electronics, textiles, toys, pharma, handicrafts, leather, machine parts, etc. Once the NIA starts operations, we expect 55 per cent of air cargo to be generated from districts of Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar from day one,” he said.
Singh further said that besides being a major hub for air cargo, the NIA will also be a major centre for maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft.
At present, small centers located in Hyderabad and Nagpur cater to aircraft maintenance in the country, he said.
Several bids received
Noida International Airport Limited has received a dozen e-bids from prospective developers for the airport. Bidders include several leading players from aviation industry in the country and abroad. NIAL had on May 30 initiated a global e-tender for selecting the concessionaire who will develop the international airport at Jewar. The developer for the airport will be finalised on November 29, 2019.