Jewar airport’s first test flight likely in March 2024
The first test flight from the Noida international airport in India is expected to take off in March 2024, months ahead of its scheduled opening in 2024.
The first test flight from the Noida international airport will likely take off as early as March next year, months before its scheduled opening by the end of 2024, officials aware of developments have said, adding that work is continuing on schedule.
Officials of the Union home and civil aviation ministries held meetings with the Uttar Pradesh government last week to discuss the road map of the new airport, which is expected to decongest the national Capital’s airport and provide new connectivity options for parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the officials cited above said.
Also read: Air Asia orders probe after flight takes off without Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot on board
“The airport is currently undergoing runway layering work and will begin installation of air navigation services from December,” one of the officials said, asking not to be named. “The airside of the airport would be ready in March, post which a test flight can be operated.”
“The meeting was held to discuss the immigration and security related developments. Even though a formal order is yet to be issued, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be guarding the airport,” a second officer at the Union home ministry said on the condition of anonymity, citing the discussions on July 21.
The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority has approved 55,000 sq m of land along the Yamuna expressway to house the CISF personnel. “CISF, which is under the government of India, is responsible for security at all major airports in the country. CISF will also look after the security at the Jewar Airport,” the expressway authority had said in an earlier statement in February.
The airport is being built at Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar district. The airport operator has said the airport will become fully operational by the end of 2024, with one terminal building and one runway and a passenger handling capacity of 12 million per year.
The airport will be developed in four phases and is expected to see a footfall of 70 million passengers per year in its fourth phase, which is expected to be completed by 2040. This will also add to the efficiency of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, which is India’s largest and handles 70 million passengers per year at present.
A test flight involves the landing and departure of a commercial plane, usually carrying officials and experts. Several aspects are scrutinised during such a real-world trial. For instance, in September, the test flight for Goa’s new airport at Mopa was done by an IndiGo aircraft, and officials later said it helped complete what is known as the Required Navigation Performance Procedure, which checks if instruments at the airport and processes meet the strict precision requirements for operations.
The authorities said they are looking at being ready for full-fledged operations by September 30 next year. “The airport, as per the legalities with the Uttar Pradesh government, should commence normal flight operations from September 30. However, the contract also allows a grace period of 90 days for the airport operator to commence flight operations,” the first official said.
The development of the Noida airport project is being done by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of the Zurich International Airport AG, whose concession period is for 40 years.
Among the aspects that need to be worked out, officials said, was how they will segregate routes in the sky for traffic headed to the Noida airport and the Delhi airport. The two airports are roughly 65km apart in terms of aerial distance — and roughly 75km by road — the separation is well within the radius in which flights to either of the airports would be descending from their cruising altitudes.
Also read: Pak girl held at Jaipur Airport trying to book returning ticket without passport
The second officer said the state-run Airports Authority of India has roped in Boeing to work on the separation of air routes. “AAI has sought help from Boeing to help them plan the separation of airspace between the Noida and Delhi international airports as well as between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai international airports,” he said. “This will ensure that no air space congestion related issues are faced in the future.”
The Navi Mumbai airport, which is expected to become operational in 2024 as well, is less than 25km away from the Mumbai airport in aerial distance.
“Noida International Airport is aimed to become India’s leading airport in terms of customer service, efficiency, digital services, and commitment to minimal environmental impact,” according to the airport operator’s latest newsletter on July 24. “The passenger terminal is now up to the first floor. We are working on the fourth floor of the ATC (air traffic control) tower, and the runway work is across the entire length. There are around 5,000 workers who are fully mobilized at the site. In the next few months, more than 25 buildings will come up at the site, including the passenger terminal, air traffic control tower.”
Recommended Topics