Breaking Update: Here’s a clear explanation of the latest developments related to Breaking News:DGCA grants aerodrome licence to Noida airport, readies it for takeoff– What Just Happened and why it matters right now.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday granted an aerodrome licence to the upcoming Noida International Airport (NIA), clearing the final regulatory hurdle ahead of its launch.
The licence certifies that the airport meets the safety and operational standards prescribed by the regulator.
“The airport has been licensed under the Public Use category for all-weather operations. It features a runway with orientation 10/28 and dimensions of 3,900 m × 45 m, supported by an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Aeronautical Ground Lighting (AGL) system, enabling 24×7 operations. The aerodrome has parking stands for 24 Code C and 02 Code D/F aircraft and is equipped with ARFF Category 9 facilities capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER,” a statement by the government read.
“The development of NIA is part of the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s broader vision for building a robust aviation ecosystem,” it stated.
The development comes a day after NIA received mandatory security clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
Following the DGCA approval, cargo and domestic flight operations are expected to begin within 45 days, as mandated under the project plan.
The BCAS had earlier flagged several issues that delayed the airport’s inauguration, including concerns over potential interference with the Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (DVOR), a navigation aid that provides aircraft with bearing information relative to a ground station.
Officials had also raised concerns over a steel wall constructed near the DVOR, saying it could affect the safety of aircraft during landing and take-off. BCAS questioned the makeshift structure and asked the airport operator to replace it with a permanent wall.
“While constructing the permanent wall will take a few months, BCAS has granted clearance on the condition that a permanent structure is built within six months,” an official aware of the matter said.
The airport, spread over 1,300 hectares in Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, was originally scheduled to begin operations in September 2024 and is expected to handle about 12 million passengers annually in its first phase.
NIA is being developed as the National Capital Region’s second major airport after Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. The project was awarded in October 2020 to Zurich Airport International AG, which is developing and operating the airport through its Indian subsidiary, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), under a 40-year public-private partnership.
On behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government, the project is overseen by Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL), the state-owned special purpose vehicle.
Noida International Airport is being developed in four phases along with a multi-modal cargo hub. In the first phase, with one runway and one terminal, the airport will have the capacity to handle around 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion of all phases, the airport will be capable of handling up to 70 million passengers per year, emerging as a major aviation hub for the National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh.