Maiden flight from Noida international airport set to take off on April 17, 2025

The schedule was finalised by NIAL in consultation with concessionaire Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) in a meeting held on Tuesday.

The first commercial flight from the Noida international airport in Jewar, along the Yamuna Expressway, will take off on April 17, 2025, said officials of Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL), the agency formed by the Uttar Pradesh government to monitor and oversee the progress on the greenfield international airport, on Tuesday.

NIAL has asked the concessionaire to make sure that the domestic and international flights take off on April 17 it self and that work should be fast-tracked to meet the set deadline, said officials. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The schedule was finalised by NIAL in consultation with concessionaire Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) in a meeting held on Tuesday, said senior officials in the know of the matter.

“The Yamuna International Airport Private Limited submitted plans to begin commercial operations by April 17 and it is crucial to adhere to these timelines. If the April 17 timeline will not be honoured, then it may cause an additional six-month delay in securing international approvals and time slots from the International Air Transport Association (IATA),” said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer of NIAL, which chaired the meeting.

NIAL said YIAPL is currently in discussions with IATA to finalise international routes and it is also consulting with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) over the domestic flight routes.

“The YIAPL has already met with IATA about international flights and various airlines have submitted their applications. The YIAPL will meet with the DGCA in mid-October to fix the domestic flights schedule. If all goes well, then the first commercial flight will take off on April 17, next year,” said Singh.

NIAL has asked the concessionaire to make sure that the domestic and international flights take off on April 17 it self and that work should be fast-tracked to meet the set deadline, said officials.

“The commercial flight trials, and the evaluations by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are scheduled for November 30 and the partner airlines, IndiGo and Akasa, are set to conduct full crew flight tests, to assess runway readiness and to validate operational systems, well in advance of the official launch. The AAi will also participate in the trial flights so that we stay well prepared before the official launch on April 17, 2024,” said Singh.

The NIAL held detailed discussions about the timelines with all agencies including YIAPL, DGCA, project consultant Engineers India Limited, and the Airport Authority of India.

The ministry of civil aviation has directed NIAL and other agencies to finalise the flight schedules and critical timelines in the run-up to the airport launch to make sure the launch is conducted smoothly without any delay or hassle, said officials.

The DGCA inspected the installed CAT-I and CAT-III systems, and the instrument landing system (ILS) calibration is scheduled for October 4 to 6.

The YIAPL has a target to submit further procedures for ILS and the aerodrome licensing application in December 2024, with the licence expected to be issued by mid-March.

“The Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), which will provide vital information about the new airport—including codes and booking details—will be published by February 6, 2025. Ticket bookings will start subsequently and the first phase of the international airport, spanning 1,334 hectares in Jewar, will consist of a runway and terminal designed to accommodate 12 million passengers annually, with plans for further expansion in four phases to include multiple hubs,” said Singh.

Noida Airport's Target: 70 Million Passengers Per Year

On completion of all four development phases, the Noida airport will be able to cater to 70 million passengers per year, said officials.

YIAPL has already signed a memorandum of understanding with IndiGo and Akasa Airlines to operate flights from the airport and Akasa Air aims to establish a comprehensive air network connecting major metropolitan areas with Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across the country.

“An MoU has been signed with IndiGo, designating it as the airport’s launch carrier, and discussions are ongoing with additional airlines,” said Singh.