Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed big plans for the Noida International Airport, which was inaugurated by him on Saturday. While Phase 1 of the airport was launched in Jewar today, plans to further expand its capabilities are still underway.
Heaping praise on the airport project, PM Modi said that flights would take off every two minutes from there and described the project as a major boost to connectivity and development in Uttar Pradesh.
“This Jewar Airport is connecting all of North India with the world... the airport is being constructed in such a way that one plane will take off every 2 minutes," PM Modi said.
“These projects are a testament to the 'double-engine' government's efforts toward the development of UP. The semiconductor factory is making India self-reliant in technology, while the Meerut Metro and Namo Bharat rail are providing fast, smart connectivity," he said.
“This Jewar Airport is connecting all of North India with the world... From here, planes will take off every 2 minutes. Earlier, the Samajwadi Party treated Noida as an 'ATM' for their own gain, but under the BJP government, Noida is becoming the engine of UP's development”.
The prime minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and other dignitaries.
{{/usCountry}}The prime minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and other dignitaries.
{{/usCountry}}The airport was finally opened after multiple delays and is set to become the second international airport serving the Delhi-NCR region, after the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).
This airport is expected to become India’s largest, with a total capacity of 225 million passengers each year, Shailendra Bhatia, additional CEO of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) and nodal officer for Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL), told HT earlier.
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PM On US-Iran war and India's response
He also discussed the US-Iran war and how India had continued its rapid development.
“In Western Uttar Pradesh, this is the fourth major project completed in just the last few weeks. During this period, a massive semiconductor factory was inaugurated in Noida. Simultaneously, the country's first Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat train gained momentum, and the Meerut Metro was expanded. Today, the Noida International Airport has been inaugurated by all of you,” the PM said.
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Security arrangements for PM's visit
Security was heightened across the area ahead of the prime minister’s visit.
The first phase of the airport, built at an estimated cost of ₹11,200 crore, is designed as a multi-modal transport hub with seamless connectivity through road, rail, metro and regional transport systems.
According to an official statement, the project includes a multi-modal cargo hub with an initial handling capacity of over 2.5 lakh metric tonnes annually, expandable to around 18 lakh metric tonnes.
The airport’s initial passenger capacity is set at 12 million passengers per annum (MPPA), with plans to scale up to 70 million MPPA. The prime minister also inspected the terminal during his visit.