From fields to the skies

Noida International Airport (NIA), at Jewar, has become operational with the first flight carrying a group of 172 farmers as a goodwill gesture by the government of India. The farmers selected for the inaugural flight were amongst those who had given up their ancestral land to make way for this airport.

“Meeting the farmers and their families, who contributed land for Noida’s International Airport, was truly special,” said Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union minister for civil aviation. “Seeing them among the first passengers at the airport was a reminder that India’s aviation growth is powered by the aspirations of its people”.

For the construction of Jewar airport (call sign: DXN), nearly 9,000 farmers had surrendered their land to the state government of Uttar Pradesh. And, the government, in turn, had distributed over R8,000 crore in financial packages to landowners.

Noida airport will give passengers a choice of travel around Delhi-NCR. The fares offered on the airlines too will be lower compared to Delhi airport – at least for the first few months.

The inaugural flight was operated by IndiGo, which flew in from Lucknow for its first departure flight for Bengaluru. Akasa Air has also commenced its operations here. The domestic network would connect Noida to Lucknow, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Amritsar. By July, the network is expected to expand to 16 cities including Navi Mumbai, Srinagar, Jodhpur and Dehradun.

It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the airport on its operational readiness in March. The airport is expected to initially offer domestic routes, with international operations likely to commence in a few months from now.

“Our focus has been creating an airport that combines operational excellence with an outstanding customer experience,” affirmed Christoph Schnellmann, vice-chairman, NIA. “We are excited that IndiGo has launched operations and look forward to providing passengers with a smooth, hassle-free experience in an airport that reflects the hospitality, culture and character of this region”.

Amongst those who took the inaugural flight was actor Gul Panag. “As an aviation enthusiast, this was a special one for me,” she said. “I am thrilled to have been on the inaugural flight from Lucknow to NIA, Jewar and particularly excited to see what India’s largest airport unlocks for the region in terms of connectivity, mobility and economic opportunity”.

This is the second airport in the Delhi-NCR and will give passengers a choice on where to take their flight from. Many major cities in the world have multiple airports. London, for example, has four – Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and Gatwick. Prices vary when passengers fly into these airports and it will be the same here for Delhi and Noida airports.

Cargo facilities

Meanwhile, the airport also has cargo facilities with an initial handling capacity of 200,000 tonnes annually, which will be scaled up to 1.5 million tonnes later. “The airport’s warehousing and logistics zone will provide e-commerce players and freight forwarders with greater operational flexibility, strengthening North India’s trade and logistics ecosystem,” according to a statement issued by NIA.

The airport’s design is a fusion of modernity and local heritage with architecture inspired by Uttar Pradesh in particular in India in general. Its features include steps at the terminal forecourt – like the ghats at Varanasi and ornate lattice screens that resemble havelis. There are courtyard spaces, which is reminiscent of the years gone by.

During the first phase, the airport will have the capacity to serve 12 million passengers. Before the entire process of setting up the airport began, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) was established for the development, construction and operation of this greenfield project called the Noida International Airport. The company, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, is in charge of the implementation of this public-private venture in partnership with the government of India and the state government of Uttar Pradesh.