Noida airport to apply for aerodrome license in Dec; sees large interest from domestic, int'l carriers

Noida, Aug 29 (PTI) The Noida International Airport, which aims to start commercial operations in April next year, will submit the application for aerodrome license in December after completing the validation flights.

The airport's CEO Christoph Schnellmann on Thursday said there was a large interest from domestic and international carriers for the airport.

Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, is developing the airport. The foundation stone for the project was laid in November 2021.

The calibration flights for the Instrument Landing System (ILS) are expected to take place in September and October, YIAPL Chief Operating Officer Kiran Jain said.

These flights are conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

In December, the validation flights for approach and departure procedures will be operated by a private carrier, Jain told reporters at the airport project site.

Once these flights are completed successfully, then the operator will apply for the aerodrome license in December, Jain said.

Aerodrome license is issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Under the flight validation process, the assessment is done in an equipped aircraft and ensures the procedure meets safety and other aspects.

Airport officials on Thursday said most of the work of the runway is complete.

In the first phase, the airport will have one terminal, one runway, 10 aerobridges and 25 parking stands.

In June, Noida International Airport said commercial operations are expected to start by April 2025 amid construction delays.

Earlier, flight operations were to start at the airport from September 2024.

YIAPL and Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann told PTI on Thursday that there was a large interest from domestic and international carriers for the airport.

The airport operator has inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with IndiGo and Akasa Air, and network planning as well as operational requirements are under discussion.

Among others, check-in kiosks, self-service bag drops, and e-gates are being tested.

Once all four development phases are completed, the airport will have a capacity to handle 70 million passengers per year.

The concession period for the airport that commenced on October 1, 2021, will run for 40 years. PTI RAM SHW