The Noida International Airport (NIA) on Friday named Nitu Samra as its chief executive officer (CEO) on an interim basis after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) declined to permit Christoph Schnellmann to continue.
Samra’s appointment comes three days after the government declined to tweak a rule that required the greenfield airport CEO to be an Indian national.
The airport, developed and to be operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Limited, is a subsidiary of Swiss firm Zurich Airport International AG and had Christoph Schnellmann, a Swiss national, as its CEO.
HT was the first to report on December 16, 2025 that his appointment was in violation of the aviation security norms for greenfield airports.
In a statement announcing Samra’s appointment, the Noida airport acknowledged the circumstances. “This change follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national,” it said.
“With immediate effect, Nitu Samra has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer on an interim basis, until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process,” NIA said.
{{/usCountry}}“With immediate effect, Nitu Samra has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer on an interim basis, until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process,” NIA said.
{{/usCountry}}Christoph Schnellmann, who led Noida International Airport as CEO since August 2020, will join the airport’s Board of Directors as executive vice chairman. “In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations,” the airport said in a statement
Samra has been the airport’s chief financial officer (CFO) since October 2021 and has been closely involved in the airport’s development, overseeing financial stewardship, governance, and strategic planning during a key phase of the project.
Daniel Bircher, chairman of Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, said the the goal was to enable the start of operations as early as possible. “This management change brings the airport into compliance with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security requirements while maintaining continuity in the airport’s leadership team,” he said.
“The newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture,” he said.
Officials said the BCAS communication was issued after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refused to authorise a change in the rule that requires an Indian to be the head of a greenfield airport in view of the security of air operations.
BCAS notified the airport about the decision on Tuesday night.
The legal basis for the requirement is a BCAS AVSEC order dated January 17, 2011. Officials confirmed that efforts to amend this rule date to 2022, when the issue first came to light.