Noida to get UP's 5th international airport before polls
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh's Jewar on Thursday. This will be UP's fifth international airport. According to the PM's office, it would be a "gamechanger" for the state. The airport will be the "logistics gateway of northern India" and will place UP on the "global logistics map," the PMO said.
Why does this story matter?
The Noida airport is a key infrastructure project undertaken by the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in UP, which will face Assembly elections next year. Winning the UP elections is crucial for the BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections as the state sends the most legislators to Parliament. Thursday's foundation laying ceremony would also be Modi's first public appearance since the farm law repeal.
Airport's first phase to complete by 2024
The airport will be located 40 kilometers away from Noida near the town of Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar. It will serve people in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra, Faridabad, and nearby regions. The first phase of the airport construction will reportedly be completed by 2024 and cost over Rs. 10,050 crore. The total cost of the airport would be Rs. 30,000 crore.
Airport to be built under PPP model
The Noida airport will be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. It is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) along with the UP government, NOIDA, and Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority. YIAPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG.
Airport to span 1,300 hectares
The airport will reportedly be spread over more than 1,300 hectares. It will have a capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers a year upon completion of the first phase. It will also have a multi-modal cargo hub for the seamless movement of industrial products. The cargo terminal's initial capacity will be 20 lakh metric tonne.
First net-zero emissions airport
Further, the Noida airport will be India's first net-zero emissions airport, the PMO said. It will also have dedicated land earmarked to be developed as a forest park to allow the native ecosystem to thrive.
Government ensures connectivity to airport
The airport will have a Ground Transportation Centre featuring metro and high-speed rail stations, taxis, bus services, and private parking. This will help to enable seamless connectivity through rail, road, and metro. All major nearby roads and highways, such as the Yamuna Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and others, will be connected to the airport. It will also be linked to the planned Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail.
Airport to help decongest Delhi's IGI
The Noida airport will be the second airport in the National Capital Region (NCR) after the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The new airport is located 72 kilometers from IGI and is expected to decongest the latter once operational.
What's new about the airport?
The airport's design is focused on a seamless and smooth passenger experience and low operating costs, the PMO said. Its swing aircraft stand concept will help airlines use the same contact stand for both domestic and international flights without re-positioning the aircraft. It will also feature a "state-of-the-art" Maintenance, Repair, and Overhauling (MRO) Service, the PMO added.
Airport embodies Modi's vision: PMO
The airport embodies Modi's vision of boosting connectivity and creating a future-ready aviation sector, the PMO said. Currently, UP has two operational international airports: in Lucknow and Varanasi. The Kushinagar airport was recently inaugurated and the Ayodhya airport is under construction.
