The newly-constructed Noida International Airport saw its first successful flight landing on Monday as part of ongoing trials, marked by a ceremonial water cannon salute.
The trial flight, which arrived from Delhi at 1:30 p.m., carried Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials and technical experts. This critical exercise tested the airport’s operational readiness, with the team onboard collecting extensive technical data during the take-off, flight, and landing phases to ensure safety and efficiency.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh, and several other dignitaries, including MLAs, MPs, and DGCA officials, attended the event. Security arrangements were tightened to ensure the smooth conduct of the trial.
During the trial, the aircraft performed a 15-minute flight before landing on the 3,900-meter runway at Jewar. After a brief five-minute stop, the plane took off again. The collected data will be sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for analysis.
Trial operations will continue until December 15, with the first commercial flight expected to take off in April 2025.
Approximately 85 percent of the airport’s construction work is completed. Advanced systems, including CAT-1 and CAT-3 Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) for improved visibility during foggy conditions, were installed and successfully tested in October.
The first phase of the airport spans 1,334 hectares and is about 80 percent complete. Scheduled for construction in four phases over 6,500 hectares, the airport requires an estimated investment of ₹29,650 crore, with ₹10,056 crore allocated for the first phase. So far, ₹8,000 crore has been spent.
The 3.9 km runway is fully complete, while the terminal building nears completion, with roof finishing and equipment installation underway. The 38-meter-high Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower is fully operational.
Operated by Zurich International Airport AG, the Noida International Airport will have a 40-year management contract. Once operational in April 2025, the airport will handle 65 flights daily, including 62 domestic flights, 2 international flights, and a cargo flight, serving 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion, it will be the fourth-largest airport in Asia.
(Inputs from IANS)