- Modi inaugurated Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh.
- The state’s fifth airport has a $3.13 billion investment.
- It will serve multiple cities.
PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA Modi inaugurated Noida International Airport in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, on March 28, over four years after laying its foundation in 2021. The airport, about 50 miles southeast of New Delhi, is the National Capital Region’s second and makes Uttar Pradesh the first state with five international airports.
The project has a total investment of $3.13 billion and is planned as an aerotropolis, linking airport operations with commercial, cargo and industrial facilities, according to CNN. The airport, call sign DXN, will begin operations in mid-April, with services phased in gradually. Phase one will handle 12 million passengers annually on a single runway, with long-term plans for 70 million passengers per year by 2050 and up to six runways.
“I am happy to have had the privilege of laying the foundation stone of this airport and now inaugurating it,” Modi said at the ceremony. “Aircraft will fly from here to the world and this airport will become a symbol of a developed Uttar Pradesh taking flight.”
He said that the airport will create opportunities for farmers, small and medium enterprises and youth, including aviation professionals such as pilots, cabin crew and maintenance staff.
The airport will serve Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Etawah, Bulandshahr and Faridabad and is expected to improve connectivity to global markets. A Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility will be set up to reduce India’s reliance on foreign services.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said it will enable a multimodal cargo hub, address the state’s landlocked status and improve connections with global markets.
Its location also supports tourism, providing access to the Taj Mahal and other destinations in India’s “golden triangle.”
However, analysts note that connectivity to Delhi remains a challenge.
“The interconnectivity is still not fully in place, but the expressway is complete and should be a boon,” Sanjay Lazar, an aviation analyst, told CNN. “Ideally, there should be a high-speed rail or metro connecting the airports to Delhi.”
The project is one of India’s largest aviation initiatives, comparable to Navi Mumbai International Airport. India’s aviation sector, with more than 160 airports in 2026, up from 74 in 2014, is expanding. Noida airport is meant to strengthen regional connectivity and support the government’s goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).
Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd., a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, was established in 2019 to develop, build and operate Noida International Airport. It is implementing the public-private partnership project with the Governments of Uttar Pradesh and India. It is led by Chairman and Managing Director Daniel Bircher, CEO Christoph Schnellmann and COO Kiran Jani, according to its website.
Navi Mumbai International Airport will operate domestic flights to 46 destinations in its first summer schedule, from March 29 to Oct. 24, following its commercial launch in December 2025.
