Thousands flock to Jewar for Noida Airport's foundation-laying event

Noida, November 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh. 

Earlier, thousands of people, including women and children, reached Jewar amid heavy security.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his cabinet colleagues, including the state's Civil Aviation Minister Nand Gopal Gupta, attended the event.

The Greenfield airport, which will be built near Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh, is billed to be India's largest upon completion.

Heavy security had been deployed at and around the event venue. Visitors were frisked before entering the 'jan sabha' area, officials said, adding that the police had banned black flags.

Earlier, Yogi Adityanath had tweeted in Hindi, "The foundation stone of the world's fourth largest international airport, 'Noida International Airport' will be laid by respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji today. This airport will give Uttar Pradesh a new global identity. With this, Uttar Pradesh will be the only state to house five international airports."

Besides locals, scores of people from Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Hathras, Aligarh and Agra arrived at Jewar on tractors and motorcycles.

The airport is being developed by Swiss concessionaire Zurich International Airport AG's subsidiary Yamuna International Airport Private Limited for the Uttar Pradesh government.

The first phase of the project is spread over 1,300 hectares and would cost more than Rs 10,000 crore, the officials said, adding that it is expected to be ready by October 2024. PTI