Noida International Airport: The airport, which was first mooted in 2001 by the then CM Rajanth Singh is said to be Asia’s biggest
Noida International Airport: All arrangements are in place for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar district on Thursday. PM Narendra Modi will perform the ‘Bhoomi Pujan‘ of the new airport at around 1 PM today. “25th November is a major day for India’s and Uttar Pradesh’s strides in infra creation. At 1 PM, the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport will be laid. This project will significantly boost commerce, connectivity, and tourism,” the PM had tweeted yesterday
Asia’s Biggest Airport
The airport, which was first mooted in 2001 by the then CM Rajanth Singh is said to be Asia’s biggest. ” It will be Asia’s biggest airport and create employment opportunities for more than one lakh people. There were only two airports in Uttar Pradesh for the last 70 years but now Jewar airport will be the 10th airport to be built in the state in last seven years. Soon we will see 17 airports in the state. Previously, only 25 destinations were covered but now 80 destinations are covered’, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia claimed.
The airport will have a capacity of 12 million passengers per annum (in the first phase) and will commence construction of its second phase by 2031-32. A total of 1,324 hectares have been acquired for the project in the first phase, and two runways will come up in the first phase. According to civil aviation ministry officials, flight operations are expected to commence from the greenfield airport by 2024.
Where Does Noida International Airport Stand in World’s Largest Airport List
Once inaugurated, Noida International Airport will be listed among the world’s largest airports. Compared with the King Fahd Airport, the world’s biggest airport by size, Noida international airport property covers about 51 square kilometers.
| Airport | Area |
| King Fahd International Airport (DMM), Dammam, Saudi Arabia | 776 (Sq.km) |
| Denver International Airport (DEN), USA | 136 (Sq.km) |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), USA | 70 (Sq.km) |
| Orlando International Airport (MCO), USA | 54 (Sq.km) |
| Washington Dulles International Airport, USA | 49 (Sq.km) |
| Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), China | 47 (Sq.km) |
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), China | 40 (Sq.km) |
| Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Indonesia | 32 (Sq.km) |
| In India | |
| Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Delhi | 21 (Sq.km) |
| Noida International Airport, Jewar | 51 (Sq.km) |
However, in terms of the number of runways, only the Chicago–O’Hare and the Dallas/Fort Worth are larger, with eight and seven runways respectively. Other existing airports with six runways are Amsterdam, Detroit, Boston, and Denver.
With six runways once all its expansions are completed, NIA will be India’s largest airport and among the world’s largest airports. As of September 2019, the Indira Gandhi International Airport, with three runways, has the highest number of runways of any airport in the country.
| Airport | Number of Runways |
| O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, USA | 8 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in the US state of Texas | 7 |
| Denver International Airport (DEN), USA | 6 |
| Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) | 6 |
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), China | 4 |
| IGI Airport, Delhi | 3 |
| Noida International Airport, Jewar | 6 |
Noida International Airport: Interesting Facts to Know
- It was first proposed in 2001 by then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Rajnath Singh as a greenfield Taj International and Aviation Hub (TIAH) at Jewar village near Greater Noida, adjacent to the Yamuna Expressway.
- The project was put on hold during the UPA regime because the project site was within 150 km (93 mi) of an existing greenfield airport in Delhi.
PM Modi To Lay Foundation Stone Of Noida International Airport Today
- In 2013, the previous Akhilesh Yadav-led UP government finalized the Kurrikupa village near Hirangaon, Tundla in the Firozabad district as the site for the proposed airport.
- However, in 2014, when Narendra Modi-led NDA came to power the project was again shifted back to Jewar.
- The airport will be designed and operated by Switzerland-based Zurich International Airport Ltd AG (ZAIA) under a 40-year concession.
