Lucknow, March 18 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday that a request has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the Noida International Airport at Jewar on March 28.
Addressing an event here, Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh has significantly expanded its air connectivity in recent years.
"For connectivity within the country, especially air connectivity, Uttar Pradesh currently has 16 domestic airports and four international airports. The fifth international airport in the country is being built at Jewar. We have requested the Prime Minister to inaugurate it on March 28, and we have extended an invitation," he said.
He added that the airport is expected to significantly boost the state's economy.
"Imagine the scale of growth once the Jewar airport becomes operational. It is expected to generate revenue of around Rs 1 lakh crore for the Uttar Pradesh government," the chief minister said.
He was speaking at an event titled "Navnirman ke 9 Varsh (9 years of reform)."
These remarks come days after Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann met Adityanath in Lucknow and presented the aerodrome license issued by the Centre for the airport.
According to a state government statement issued on March 10, the delegation also briefed the chief minister on the project's progress, proposed inauguration timeline, and the commencement of commercial flight operations.
Officials said that following the issuance of the aerodrome license, the process for the airport's inauguration and launch of commercial services has moved forward. The aerodrome security programme is currently under review by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and the final date for inauguration will be decided after necessary clearances.
The Noida International Airport, being developed at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district under a public-private partnership model, is a major greenfield project aimed at boosting connectivity between the National Capital Region, western Uttar Pradesh, and key domestic and international destinations.
In its first phase, the airport will have one runway and a passenger terminal with an annual handling capacity of around 12 million passengers.
The terminal, spread over about 1.38 lakh square metres, will include 48 check-in counters, nine security screening lanes, and nine immigration counters, along with domestic and international lounges.
The airport will feature 10 aerobridges, 28 aircraft parking stands, and a runway capable of handling around 30 flight operations per hour. A cargo hub with an initial capacity of 2.5 lakh tonnes annually is also planned, expandable to 1.5 million tonnes in later phases.
Equipped with advanced systems such as DigiYatra-based biometric processing and self-baggage drop facilities, the airport is also being developed with a focus on sustainability, including solar energy generation, rainwater harvesting, and electric vehicle infrastructure.