3 min readLucknowUpdated: Mar 12, 2026 05:39 PM IST
Phase 1 of the soon-to-be opened Noida International Airport in Jewar will have one runway and an annual passenger handling capacity of 1.20 crore. On average, around 150 flights are expected to operate daily, confirmed the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday.
Around 95% construction under Phase 1 is completed, said officials, adding that the work will be completed by November 10.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the mega project.
According to officials, once the number of passengers crosses 1 crore annually, the process of constructing the second runway will begin. With two runways, the airport will be capable of serving around 7 crore passengers annually.
The project at a glance
In the first phase, officials said the portion developed over approximately 3,300 acres will be inaugurated. For the project, a total of 6,700 acres of land has already been acquired, while the remaining 5,100 acres is planned to be acquired over the next three months.
Around Rs 5,000 crore has been spent on land acquisition for the airport, while approximately Rs 7,000 crore is being invested in construction, the government said.
Once the entire project is completed, the airport will have five runways and will expand to cover about 11,750 acres in total. It is then expected to handle up to 300 million (30 crore) passengers annually, making it one of the largest airports in the world.
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Officials said the project, which is expected to ease congestion at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, also aims to bring economic and industrial growth to the region. The airport’s development will boost logistics, tourism, trade, and industrial activities in the surrounding areas.
According to the state government, the Jewar Airport will emerge as a major transportation hub for Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh. Its operation will strengthen regional connectivity and provide a new option for both domestic and international flights.
Key approvals in
On March 5, the airport received security approval from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). A day later, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted it a provisional aerodrome licence.
According to officials, the licence is valid for six months, until September 5, subject to further approval by the DGCA. “This (grant of licence) means that flights can now land and take off from the Noida International Airport,” CEO Rakesh Singh had said.
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On Tuesday, airport authorities had presented the aerodrome licence to Adityanath. A delegation led by the airport’s Chief Executive Officer Christoph Schnellmann met the chief minister in Lucknow and briefed him on the progress of the project and the next steps toward starting operations.
