Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated Phase-I of the Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar, marking the launch of the National Capital Region’s second international airport and a key greenfield aviation project.
Calling it a major boost to connectivity and trade, Modi said the airport will serve as “North India’s logistics gateway,” underlining its role in strengthening cargo movement and regional economic growth.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the airport as a “launchpad” for the state’s future, saying it reflects the progress of a “New Uttar Pradesh” within a rapidly developing India. He added that the project would open new opportunities for youth and accelerate industrial growth in the region.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the airport gives the national capital a “second heartbeat,” easing pressure on Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport while enhancing India’s aviation capacity. Spread across over 3,000 acres and built at a cost of around ₹11,200 crore, the airport features a nearly 4-km-long runway capable of handling international traffic and a terminal designed to reflect local cultural identity.
Phase-I of the project has been developed with an investment of about ₹11,282 crore and includes one runway and one terminal with an annual passenger handling capacity of 12 million. The airport will also house a cargo terminal with an initial capacity of 2.5 lakh metric tonnes per year, scalable to 18 lakh metric tonnes.
PM Modi also inaugurated the cargo terminal and laid the foundation stone for a 40-acre Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility aimed at boosting domestic aircraft servicing capabilities.
Designed to complement Delhi’s IGI Airport, NIA will operate as part of a dual-airport system for the NCR. The project is being developed in four phases at an estimated total cost of ₹29,560 crore, with eventual capacity planned at 70 million passengers annually.
The airport is being developed and operated by Yamuna International Airport, a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, in partnership with the central and Uttar Pradesh governments.
