Noida to IGI airport: Metro minds the gap

In four years from now, travelling from Noida to the Delhi airport to catch a low-cost airline won't be high-cost. Subhendu Ray reports.

In four years from now, travelling from Noida to the Delhi airport to catch a low-cost airline won't be high-cost.

The Delhi Metro will construct a 37-km corridor in phase 3 of its construction, connecting the NCR city to the domestic terminal at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.

The route is scheduled to start operations in 2016, proving to be a big relief for Noida’s residents.

HT Image

Three low-cost airlines — Indigo, Go Air and SpiceJet — fly from Terminal 1D at the airport. Sources said around 40,000 passengers take flights from there every day.

The international airport (Terminal 3) got connected through the Airport Metro Express last year.

Travelling between Noida and the Delhi airport is a headache at the moment. Autorickshaws are not allowed between the two cities and the bus service is infrequent. Taxis charge Rs 600-800 for a trip to the airport.

While a taxi ride from Noida to the airport takes an hour or more, the Metro is expected to cut down the travel time to around 30 minutes and the cost to a fraction.

The proposed Metro line connecting Janakpuri West to Noida’s Botanical Garden will pass through the domestic airport.

"The distance between Botanical Garden and the domestic terminal would be covered in 35 minutes and the fare would be between Rs 30 to Rs 35," said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation spokesperson.

Delhi Metro officials said once the corridor is operational, over 40,000 people will use the Metro station at IGI airport every day.