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Airport project put on fast-track
The Noida International Greenfield Airport project at Jewar along the 165km Yamuna Expressway is being developed as per the timeline fixed by the ministry of civil
The Noida International Greenfield Airport project at Jewar along the 165km Yamuna Expressway is being developed as per the timeline fixed by the ministry of civil aviation, officials of Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) said Tuesday.
The developer for this project is expected to be selected by the end of 2019, they added.
“The Uttar Pradesh government has put Noida International Greenfield airport project on the fast track—all work related with this ambitious project is being completed as per the timeline fixed by the ministry of civil aviation. Today, a German company purchased the bid to participate in the global bidding process. So far, GMR (the developer of Indira Gandhi International Airport) and the Adani Group are among 16 firms in the fray for this project,” Shailendra Bhatia, nodal officer of NIAL, said.
On July 6, 2017, the ministry of civil aviation had issued site clearance for this project at the Uttar Pradesh government’s request. On October 5, 2017, the ministry of home affairs had given its no-objection certificate for setting up this project. Subsequently, on January 11, 2018, the ministry of defence had given requisite clearances for the airport project. On May 9, 2018, the ministry of civil aviation gave its in-principle approval to the techno-economic feasibility report submitted by the consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
After the project monitoring and implementing committee (that has expert members from the state government and the central government) gave requisite approvals, the UP government allowed the NIAL to issue global bids. On May 30, 2019, the NIAL issued a global tender to select the developer for the project.
“We hope that more globally reputed firms participate in the bidding process so that we get the best developer for this project. GMR has right of first refusal. It means, for example, if any other firm places a bid of ₹100 crore and GMR submits a bid worth ₹90 crore, then we will ask GMR to match the ₹100 crore bid. If GMR matches the highest bid, then it gets this project. But if it refuses to match the bid, then the highest bidding agency will be qualified for the same. But if GMR places a bid less than 10% of the highest bid, then GMR will not be able to get this project,” Bhatia said.
The last date to purchase the bid is October 30, 2019.
The NIAL will open the technical bid on November 6 and the financial bid on November 29 to select a developer for the airport project.
