Govt fines Noida airport operator ₹10 lakh a day over delays

With the airport set to miss a revised deadline of April, CM Adityanath enforced the penalty — which will come into effect as of January 1 this year — under the concession agreement

NOIDA The Uttar Pradesh government has imposed a penalty of ₹10 lakh per day on Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) — the operator of Noida international airport — over delays in the construction of the key facility that is coming up in Jewar, officials said on Tuesday.

The UP chief secretary is expected to hold another review meeting with respect to the airport in the coming weeks, officials said. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Archive)

The airport was earlier set to begin operations from September 2024, but the concessionaire received a three-month grace period till December of that year due to construction setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, with the airport set to miss a revised deadline of April, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath enforced the penalty — which will come into effect as of January 1 this year — under the concession agreement.

Officials said the penalty will continue till the airport becomes functional. Operations at the airport are currently slated to begin only from mid-May.

“The UP government has directed YIAPL to start domestic passenger services by May 15, and international flights by June 25. The directive was issued during a high-level review meeting on March 10, where CM Adityanath expressed concern over the slow progress of the airport’s construction, particularly the terminal building,” said Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) chief executive officer Arun Vir Singh.

The UP chief secretary is expected to hold another review meeting with respect to the airport in the coming weeks, officials said.

People aware of the matter said construction of the terminal building at the airport is currently 80% complete, but critical work on the international passenger section, navigation equipment, and other infrastructure remains unfinished. In addition, the air traffic control (ATC) tower is complete, but additional air-conditioned rooms must be ready by March 31 for the installation of sensitive equipment. Airports Authority of India (AAI) will require about 20 days thereafter to complete the setup, officials said.

Singh said that NIAL has sought a “catch-up” plan from YIAPL and other stakeholders to ensure the current deadline is met. “Since the domestic and international sections are on different levels, domestic operations can begin first with six aerobridges instead of the planned ten,” he said.

An aeronautical information publication (AIP) — a mandatory notice for operational readiness — was issued on March 6, and Singh said that the 70-day AIP process means domestic flights could start by May 15, pending approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).