Noida airport faces delay, to start commercial flights by April 2025

The airport was expected to start commercial flights in December this year

It will be a while before you can board a flight from Noida airport as the deadline to wind up the project has now been pushed to the end of April, 2025.

Being touted as a competitor to the country’s busiest Delhi airport -- which handles approximately 1,200 flights a day -- the Noida airport was expected to start flight operations by the end of this year.

But supply-chain disruption, caused by pandemic and subsequent global upheaval, has hit the pace of construction at the airport which is coming up in the Jewar area of UP’s Gautam Budh Nagar, some 75-km from the Delhi airport.

“This shift has taken place due to various reasons including delays in delivery of construction materials and equipment due to Covid-19 restrictions and supply chain constraints due to geopolitical conflict. We are working with all stakeholders (including EPC contractor Tata Projects Limited) to keep the pace of construction activities and preparations for operational readiness high,” Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, which is building the greenfield project, told Business Standard.

“This is a large and complex project, and the next few weeks of construction activities, ahead of the monsoon season, are critical. In view of the current construction status, we expect to begin commercial operations by the end of April 2025,” YIAPL added.

In January, YIAPL CEO Christoph Schnellmann had said that the Noida airport is all set to start commercial flight operations by the year-end.

With one runway, the Noida airport is projected to handle 9.4-11.7 million passengers in 2025-26, aviation consultancy firm CAPA India had said in January. Strong competition is expected between the Delhi airport, which is operated by GMR Group-led entity, and the Noida airport, which is about 70 km away from it.

The Noida airport is not the only major greenfield airport project in India facing delays. In January, then Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said that the Navi Mumbai airport will start commercial operations by March 2025.

Adani Group, the parent company of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL), in an investor presentation in April last year, had said that the airport was on track to start commercial operations by December 2024.

YIAPL on Monday said that the construction and development work at the Noida airport is at an “advanced” stage.

“This is a large and complex project, and the next few weeks of construction activities are crucial. Work on the runway, the passenger terminal and the control tower, is well advanced. Recently, the concessions for ground handling, the operation of commercial areas and important maintenance contracts were awarded. In addition, agreements have been signed with several airlines for flight connections from the airport,” it mentioned.

While the company did not explicitly mention the reasons for the delays, sources said the construction has been going a bit slower than expected.

The Noida airport had on April 18 conducted its first calibration flight. A calibration flight for a new airport verifies and fine-tunes navigation aids, runway lighting, and airspace, ensuring safety and accuracy before commercial operations commence.

It also helps pilots familiarise themselves with the airport layout and procedures. The Noida airport is expected to commence operations with 65 daily flights.

What’s on the Runway

- Supply-chain disruption, caused by pandemic and global upheaval, has hit the pace of construction 
 

- With one runway, the Noida airport is projected to handle 9.4-11.7 million passengers in 2025-26
 

-  The Noida airport is expected to commence operations with 65 daily flights
 

- The Noida airport had on April 18 conducted its first calibration flight