Kamal Ghorui
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive at Uttar Pradesh on Saturday (March 28, 2026), where he is expected to inaugurate the long-awaited Phase I of the highly anticipated Noida International Airport at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh.As per the official press release by PIB, the Prime Minister is expected to arrive at the airport site around 11:30 AM and take a walkthrough of the terminal building. Thereafter, at around 12 noon, the Prime Minister is expected to formally inaugurate the first phase of the airport and also address a public gathering on the occasion.
PIB Press Release
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also posted on this official account on X on March 27, “Tomorrow, 28th March is a day of immense importance for the people of Uttar Pradesh and the NCR. Phase I of Noida International Airport will be inaugurated. This will boost commerce and connectivity. It will ease congestion at the IGI Airport in Delhi. The Noida airport is among the key greenfield projects in our nation. In addition to passenger services, it will have a robust cargo ecosystem thus boosting the logistics sector.”
A major aviation milestone for NCR
The opening of the Noida International Airport has been regarded as a major step towards consolidating India’s standing as a leading hub for air travel around the world. It has been designed as a major international airport for the National Capital Region (NCR), and it is expected to work alongside the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.The two airports are expected to operate as a single system of air travel, with the aim of reducing congestion and raising the passenger-handling capability of the airports. It is also expected that the two-airport system would bring Delhi NCR into the ranks of the top international aviation hubs.
Infrastructure and capacity highlights
As per the press release, the Noida International Airport is one of the largest greenfield airport projects in India, developed on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The development of the airport has been completed in Phase I, with an estimated cost of around INR 11,200 crore.The airport will be able to handle around 12 million passengers per annum (MPPA) in its initial phase, but the capacity will be increased up to 70 MPPA during the full development of the project. The airport will have a 3,900-meter-long runway, capable of handling wide-body aircraft, along with the latest navigation aids such as Instrument Landing System (ILS) and airfield lighting for night landings.
Noida International Airport exterior
Boost to cargo and logistics
The most interesting aspect of the project is the integration of the cargo facilities. The proposed airport would have a multi-modal cargo hub with an integrated cargo terminal and logistics area, which would have the potential to handle more than 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of cargo in the initial phase. This is expected to increase manifold to 18 lakh metric tonnes in the future.The proposed airport would also have a separate 40-acre Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub to enhance the aviation services sector in the country.
Sustainability and connectivity focus
- The airport has been designed as a sustainable and future-ready infrastructure project with the objective of achieving the status of a net-zero emission airport.
- The architecturally designed airport is inspired by various traditional Indian features such as ghats and havelis.
- The location of the airport on the Yamuna Expressway is strategic in the context of its role as a multi-modal hub with integration of various modes of transportation such as road, rail, and metro.
- The inauguration of Phase I is expected to enhance the connectivity of the northern part of the country and contribute to the economic development of the region, especially Gautam Buddha Nagar.
