3 min readJewarUpdated: Mar 29, 2026 11:47 AM IST
The inauguration of the Noida International Airport at Jewar on Saturday marks the culmination of a project that remained on the drawing board for over two decades, navigating shifting political priorities and regulatory hurdles.
The idea of a greenfield airport in Jewar dates back to 2001, when now Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Within months, in 2022, Mayawati took charge as CM and the proposal received preliminary clearance from the Union government. The project was soon shelved in 2003 by the next Samajwadi Party government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The project was revived in 2007 as the Taj International Aviation Hub by the then BSP government, with the airport planned along the Yamuna Expressway. Mayawati pushed the project for five years, describing it as a dream initiative.
The move faced resistance from the UPA government at the Centre, which raised concerns that a new airport in Jewar could impact traffic at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. A key hurdle was also the civil aviation policy restricting greenfield airports within 150 km of an existing one.
The project continued to face uncertainty between 2012 and 2016 as the then SP government wanted to develop an international airport in Agra, and explored alternative sites, including Saifai.
Momentum returned after 2014 with the NDA coming to power at the Centre. Gautam Buddha Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma, then MoS for Civil Aviation, publicly said that the airport was among his priorities. But the SP government was in no mood to allow the project.
In 2016, the NDA government relaxed the 150-km rule for greenfield airports, removing a major regulatory hurdle. With the BJP forming the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, the project was put on the fast track.
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The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) was designated as the implementing agency, and the airport was structured as a public-private partnership. In 2018, Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) was incorporated as a joint venture between the Uttar Pradesh government and regional authorities like NOIDA, Greater NOIDA, and YEIDA.
A year later, Zurich International Airport AG won the bid, ahead of competitors, including the Adani Group. A concession agreement was signed with its special purpose vehicle, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL).
Land acquisition, however, delayed the project.
In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the airport. Originally slated for completion in October 2024, the project missed multiple deadlines before its launch on Saturday.
