Noida International Airport set to miss second deadline, aerodrome license expected in May

In a statement on Tuesday, Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann was quoted as saying, “The next major milestone is the granting of the aerodrome license, expected in May. The airport will begin operations with domestic flights, with international routes to follow in the subsequent months.”

Last year, in November, Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) CEO Arun Vir Singh said that the aerodrome licence was expected by March 20 and that the airport operations would begin any day before April 17. “The flights will begin anytime after March 20 and before April 17. For now, three international flights have been scheduled for Day 1. We are considering international flights for Europe and the Pacific region,” he had said at the time.

Monday’s meeting, chaired by the CM, was attended by Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, Tata Projects MD and CEO Vinayak Pai, Civil Aviation Secretary V Vualnam, and Zurich International Airport MD Daniel Bircher, apart from Schnellmann.

When The Indian Express contacted UP Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh to seek the details of the meeting, he refused to comment on the matter.

The NIAL CEO had earlier remarked that the flight schedule, number of flights, and categories of services were likely to be finalised at that meeting. “A comprehensive report on the current status of Noida International Airport will be presented before the CM,” Singh had said.

The latest statement by Schnellmann also highlights that the airport is making steady progress towards operational readiness. “The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is advancing its work in the air traffic control tower, while construction of the passenger terminal and associated infrastructure is progressing well,” he said.

“Discussions are ongoing with the state and the Centre regarding the start of commercial operations,” he added.