Airport to miss May 15 deadline
Noida:
Noida International Airport
will miss its third deadline, which was set for May 15 by chief minister
Yogi Adityanath
, with work on the terminal building unlikely to be completed by then.
While there is no word yet on the new date, sources indicate the launch was unlikely within the next two months.
The airport, as of now, is running one year behind its schedule. Its original deadline was Sept 29, 2024, which was revised to April 17, 2025. But with the work on the terminal building not complete, the date for
domestic flight operation
was revised to May 15 and international flight to June 25. UP has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh per day on concessionaire YIAPL from Jan 1 for the delay in completing the project.
On Tuesday, chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh conducted a site inspection of the airport site in Jewar and met officials from Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), Tata Projects Limited and Noida International Airport Limited (NIA). Singh will now hold a stakeholder meeting to set new completion timelines and submit a full report within 15 days.
During the meeting, the CM emphasised on the need for all stakeholders to act with urgency. Senior officials were directed to conduct regular review meetings and to hold direct discussions with the chairman of Tata Sons to ensure accountability at the highest level.
While the current construction status has not been officially disclosed, the overall physical progress of the project till March 10 was 80%. The runway and associated airside infrastructure, which were 90% complete, were to be ready by April. The passenger terminal building was only 80% complete, with steel roofing and internal finishing still underway. The water and sewage treatment plants, both 40% complete, were significantly behind schedule.
Though the ATC building was to be completed by March 31, the commissioning of CNS/ATM systems by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was projected only by April 30.
Officials earlier told the CM that non-issuance of the aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), along with pending construction, were major roadblocks to
commence flight operation by April 30.
At a DGCA review meeting on March 5, AAI submitted that only limited ATC functionality could be achieved for its inspection after April 30. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), meanwhile, informed that after reviewing key safety documents, including the bomb threat contingency plan, anti-hijack contingency plan and airport security programme, it had noted some observations that required compliance. BCAS stated it would need 45 days after receiving the responses to issue the security clearance, and in the case of a partial terminal opening, a structural stability certificate would be mandatory.
During the DGCA meeting, YIAPL was also asked to submit detailed operational scenarios given the incomplete status of the terminal and cargo apron. Based on the discussions, the DGCA advised YIAPL to complete all pending works listed in the draft Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) Supplement and ensure full readiness by April 15. The DGCA also recommended three options for operationalising the airport: initiating cargo operations only by May 15, allowing partial passenger operations using a section of the terminal, or achieving full Phase 1 readiness.
Sources indicated that once the airport begins operations, it is likely to follow the DGCA's recommended phased approach, starting with domestic and cargo flights and gradually expanding to include international services.
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