Centre says in principle nod to Noida Airport in 3 months

The Uttar Pradesh government has submitted to the civil aviation ministry the report of a techno-feasibility study for setting up an airport at Greater Noida. The ministry has reportedly told the state government that the approval in principle will come in three months.

The estimated cost of the airport is Rs 3,505 crore. The project will come up on around 1,500 hectares.

The airport is part of the Taj International Aviation Hub Project, which is planned at Jewar, nearly 72 km from Delhi and 120 km from Agra. Another 2,500 hectares is planned to be used for the airport economic zone, which will have hotels, restaurants and shopping arcades. The entire project is estimated to cost Rs 10,000 crore.

The project, to be implemented by a special purpose vehicle, will be a joint venture in which the private party will be selected through competitive bidding.

The equity composition will be on the following lines""private 74 per cent, UP government 13 per cent, and Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other government agencies 13 per cent.

The proposal was first submitted to the civil aviation ministry in 2001, when Mayawati was in power in UP. The feasibility study was carried out in 2002-03, but the project was not a priority for the subsequent Samajwadi Party government.

The project was revived when the prime minister assured Mayawati, after she was elected chief minister in May, that it would be taken up again.

On June 14, the civil aviation ministry asked the state government for a detailed pre-feasibility report.

The GMR Group, which operates Delhi Airport, has the first right of refusal to develop the airport.