Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Noida International Airport today. Once completed, it will be one of the largest airports in Asia. The airport is expected to become operational by September 2024 and will be able to manage up to 1.2 crores of passengers initially.
“25th November is an important day for India’s and Uttar Pradesh’s strides in infra creation. At 1 pm, the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport will be laid," the PM tweeted prior to the inauguration. He also said that this project would significantly boost commerce, connectivity and tourism.
After the inauguration, PM highlighted the developmental activities in UP. The new airport will help the state become an export hub, and even medium to small enterprises will have easy access to international markets via the airport. “Noida International Airport will become the logistics gateway of India,” he said.
“With the help of the Government, Uttar Pradesh is turning into the most connected region in the country,” he added. Uttar Pradesh presently has eight operational airports, including international airports in Lucknow and Varanasi, and the recently opened Kushinagar airport.
Noida airport would generate more than one lakh jobs
The airport would generate more than one lakh job opportunities, according to the Uttar Pradesh government. The expected investment in the first phase stands at Rs 10,000 crore and up on Rs 35,000 crores upon completion.
The airport is built in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of creating a future-ready aviation sector in India. It is located 72 km from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport and about 40 km from Noida. Noida airport will primarily benefit nearby cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Agra besides Noida. It will help to decongest Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport.
Noida International airport’s cargo terminal will have a capacity to handle 20 lakh metric tonnes, which can be expanded to 80 lakh metric tonnes. Its massive capacity will make it a prime hub to facilitate the seamless movement of industrial products, thereby boosting industrial growth in the region.
Noida airport will also be India’s first ‘net zero emissions’ airport. The airport carries a passenger-centric design, and the processes at the airport are digitized for faster transactions.
Protest from farmers
The land acquisition for Noida International Airport is already completed, and people are rehabilitated from the place. The land acquisition created fury among a section of farmers whose lands had been acquired for construction. The farmers have camped in tents 700 meters from the airport as a protest.
Noida International Airport is spread over 1330 acres of land and is developed by Zurich Airport International AG.
