The
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is also constructing a 31-kilometre long (19 mi) greenfield highway from the airport to Sector-65,
Faridabad on
Delhi–Mumbai Expressway. The proposed plan in Jewar is to build a two-runway airport by 2024, and at a future date, to expand it into a 7,200 acres (2,900 ha) eight-runway airport.[10] According to the plan, the airport will handle 1.2
crore (12 million) passengers per annum initially and up to 6-12 crore passengers per annum, after its expansion over a period of 30 years. It will be the third commercial airport in the National Capital Region, after Indira Gandhi International Airport and
Hindon Airport.
History
The project was first proposed in 2001 by then
Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterRajnath Singh as a
greenfield Taj International Aviation Hub (TIAH)[11] at
Jewar near
Greater Noida, adjacent to the
Yamuna Expressway.[12] The
Central Government cleared the techno-feasibility report for setting up TIAH in April 2003. It was to be built at an approximate cost of ₹5000 crores by the year 2007–2008. The project was put on hold during the
UPA regime because the project site was within 150 km (93 mi) of an existing
greenfield airport in Delhi.[13] This site was within 72 km (45 mi) of
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), Delhi. Its operator
GMR Group had protested against plans for another international airport within 150 km (93 mi) of the existing Delhi Airport, claiming that it would impact traffic and revenue generation.
GMR has the right of first refusal (RoFR) on a new airport within 150 km (93 mi) of the existing Delhi Airport. The RoFR was to ensure that GMR gets preference in bidding for the Greater Noida airport in case its bid price is within 10% of the lowest bidder.[citation needed]
When the
Akhilesh Yadav-led government was formed in Uttar Pradesh in 2012, it contemplated shelving the project while proposing a new international airport in
Agra. In June 2013, the State Government decided on the Kurrikupa village near Hirangaon,
Tundla in the
Firozabad district as the site for the proposed airport.[14][15] In January 2014, the
Defence Ministry raised some objections regarding the site near Tundla.[16] The state government allocated land near
Etmadpur for the proposed airport in November 2014.[17]
In 2014, the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was voted to power at the federal level and the project was again shifted back to Jewar.[18][11] The Civil Aviation Ministry cleared the proposal for the new airport to be set up on 2,200 acres (890 ha) of land in June 2015.[19] In July 2017, the Union Chief Secretary for Aviation warned the Uttar Pradesh government to expedite the planning process as
Hisar Airport was also pushing for its competing
Union Cabinet approval for building another airport to serve the NCR region, thus prolonging the
return on investment for both airports due to a still-feasible-but-diluted viability for both.[20] The
Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) gave an in-principle approval to the Uttar Pradesh government to build the airport in May 2018.[21] Prime Minister
Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone on 25 November 2021.[22]
Location
The Noida International Airport (NIA) is located around 7 km (4.3 mi) north of
Jewar Town in
Gautam Buddh Nagar district of
Uttar Pradesh in India.
Noida,
Dadri, and
Jewar are the three tehsils (sub-divisions) in this district. In October 2017, for the first phase of building the airport, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) acquired land in villages such as Mukimpur Siwara, Dayanat Pur, Ramner, Kishorpur, Banwari Bas, Ranhera, Rohi, and Parohi.[23] Similarly in January 2021, YEIDA started taking possession of land for the phase-2 expansion in villages such as
Ranhera, Shahpur Nangla, Birampur, Karauli Bangar, and Dayanat Pur (
Jewar Tehsil).[24]
The
NHAI is also constructing a 31-kilometre long (19 mi) highway which will connect Jewar Airport with
Faridabad on Delhi–Mumbai Expressway.[29] The greenfield alignment is as follows (east to west):
Personal rapid transit (PRT) from amusement park to Noida International Airport is included in the proposed film city project, located in Greater Noida's Sector 21 to the airport.[32]
Semi-High Speed Railway
"Ghaziabad-Jewar RRTS", 71.1 km long rapid rail with 11 stations costing ₹16,000 cr, will be completed in 2 phases by 2031.[33]
"Palwal-Noida International Airport-Khurja Railway" (PNAKR line), 61 km long line will have a new railway station at Noida airport which will be connected to Palwal 28 km to west on
New Delhi-Mumbai main line and Khurja 33 km to east on
Howrah–Delhi main line (Amritsar-Kolkata line).[34]
"Noida International Airport-Chola Railway", 20 long line will connect multi logistics have at Noida airport to existing chola railway station to west on "Howrah–Delhi main line".[34]
India's environmental ministry had imposed certain conditions for granting approval for the Noida airport, conditions imposed regarding the protection of
Dhanauri Wetlands remain ignored by the Uttar Pradesh government and no action has been taken to designate it as
Ramsar Site, it's land has been allocated by YEIDA for construction resulting in the reduction of the wetland area, and it is under the threat.[57]