NEW DELHI: To boost footfall at the Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar, a comprehensive ground transportation network has been put in place to ensure seamless connectivity for passengers. A key proposal under consideration is the operation of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses from different parts of Delhi to the airport, a move expected to significantly improve accessibility.
It has been a little over six weeks since commercial operations began at NIA. At the launch of the first flight on June 15, airport authorities had expressed confidence that the airport would handle 50 lakh passengers in its first year. However, passenger traffic has remained below expectations, averaging around 2,700 passengers a day, it is learnt. The Airports Authority of India is yet to release the official traffic data.
An airport source told this newspaper that during July, the first full month of operations, the airport recorded an average of 17 departures and 17 arrivals daily. Flights currently connect Noida with Mumbai,
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhopal, Jaipur, Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, Uttarakhand, Jodhpur, Dharamshala, Kishangarh and Bareilly.
“NIA is enhancing passenger convenience through a comprehensive and integrated ground transportation network, ensuring seamless connectivity across the NCR and neighbouring states,” the source said.
Government-run bus services have also been integrated with the airport. An official said the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation currently operates direct services connecting NIA with Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Meerut, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Farrukhabad, Firozabad, Garhmukteshwar, Hathras, Khurja, Moradabad and Shikohabad.
Haryana Roadways operates services connecting the airport with Faridabad and Palwal. “There are also plans to introduce direct connectivity with Gurugram, Kurukshetra, Chandigarh, Hisar, Narnaul, Panipat and Ambala in the coming weeks, depending on passenger demand,” the official said.
Passengers can also travel between NIA and the UPSRTC Sector 35 (Morna) Bus Depot in western Uttar Pradesh and the Noida City Centre bus stand through the dedicated Atal Seva AC electric bus service. In addition, passengers can book premium intercity bus services directly from the airport through its partnership with redBus, he added.
A senior DTC official said, “NIA had approached us with a request to operate bus services from Delhi to Jewar airport. However, there are some legal hurdles at present. Under an agreement signed in 2022 between the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, buses can operate only from Jewar to Delhi and not in the reverse direction.”
“We need to submit a supplementary proposal to the Uttar Pradesh government for approval. We are ready to operate the services once we receive the nod. We have conveyed our willingness to the Delhi transport department, which is in talks with the Uttar Pradesh transport department,” he said.
“DTC was considering operating at least 70 to 80 trips a day from different parts of Delhi, including Kashmere Gate ISBT, Anand Vihar ISBT and New Delhi railway station, to Jewar airport,” he added.
