Noida Airport to begin flights trial by December 2024

The Noida International Airport (NIA), which aims to start commercial operations in April 2025, will submit the application for an aerodrome license in December after completing the validation flights.

The airport's CEO Christoph Schnellmann today (August 29) 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 (COO) 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, Kiran Jain told media 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 said most of the work on the runway is complete. In the first phase, the airport will have one terminal, one runway, 10 aerobridges and 25 parking stands.