NEW DELHI: The Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh will begin commercial operations on June 15, nearly 21 months after its proposed deadline. In the first phase, the airport will lead with domestic operations, with international services expected to commence before the end of 2026, airport authorities said.
“IndiGo will operate the first flight from NIA, marking the start of scheduled passenger services, followed shortly by Akasa Air and Air India Express,” the airport said in a release on Friday.
An airport official stated, “We are looking at 50-60 lakh passengers in the first year of operations. After domestic operations stabilise, we will launch international services. It will take some time, but we are confident of going international before the end of 2026.”
The launch of the Rs 11,200-crore airport follows approval from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security on April 27 for the Aerodrome Security Programme, marking the final stage of security clearance. The clearance had been delayed due to regulatory concerns over a foreign CEO heading the airport. Recently, Chief Financial Officer Nitu Samra was appointed interim CEO, replacing Swiss national Christoph Schnellmann.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport on March 28, while the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had granted its clearance on March 6.
The airport currently features one runway and one passenger terminal with a capacity to handle 12 million passengers annually. Its master plan includes future expansion to accommodate over 70 million passengers each year.