Noida Airport Opening: The increasing crowd and traffic jams at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) are soon going to be a thing of the past. Saturday is bringing a new gift for the people of Delhi-NCR and Western Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to inaugurate the first phase of ‘Noida International Airport’ in Jewar on March 28 (Saturday). This is not just a new airport, but a big and historic step for the aviation sector of the country. Let us understand in detail what this mega project is, what are its features and why it matters to you as a common traveller.
Why was there a need for Jewar Airport?
Delhi’s IGI Airport is currently the busiest airport in the country. If we look at the figures, this airport handles a huge load of about 8 crore passengers. Due to such a large number, passengers often have to spend a long time at check-in, security check and baggage claim. To reduce this pressure, the foundation stone of Noida International Airport was laid in the year 2021. This will be the second international airport of Delhi-NCR. With its launch, not only will the crowd of passengers at Delhi Airport be reduced, but people of Western Uttar Pradesh will also not have to travel a long distance to Delhi to take a flight.
From Taj to Kumbh… the journey will be easy
This airport will act as a big ‘gateway’. India is known all over the world for its culture and spirituality. Till now, foreign or domestic tourists had to largely depend on Delhi Airport to see the Taj Mahal in Agra, visit Mathura and Vrindavan, go to the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj or reach major Buddhist sites like Shravasti and Kushinagar. With the opening of Jewar Airport, the distance to all these historical, cultural and spiritual places will be significantly reduced. This will give a new impetus to tourism and save both time and money of the travelers.
A glimpse of UP, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan will be seen in architecture.
Airports are often thought of as big and drab buildings made of glass and concrete. But, the design of Noida International Airport has been prepared in a very special way. According to officials, its architecture will clearly reflect the rich cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.
The roof of the terminal has been given the shape of a white colored transparent canopy, which gives the impression of the rising and falling waves of the Ganga, Yamuna and Hindon rivers. The floor of its check-in hall is made of red stone and traditional latticed screens have been installed to let in air and natural light. Keeping the environment in mind, local materials and limestone calcined clay cement have been used in its construction.
Its goal is to become a completely ‘carbon net-zero’ (ie no harm to the environment) airport. Christoph Schnellmann, CEO of Noida International Airport, has described it as a perfect combination of ‘Swiss efficiency and Indian hospitality’, whose layout has been kept so simple that passengers do not face any problem in finding their way.
Investment of Rs 11,200 crore in the first phase itself
This is a huge infrastructure project which has been developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. An investment of Rs 11,200 crore has been made in its first phase itself. About 40 kilometers away from Pari Chowk in Greater Noida and adjacent to Yamuna Expressway, this airport is spread over 1,334 hectares of land.
Talking about passenger capacity, initially this airport will serve 1.2 crore (12 million) passengers every year. As its remaining phases are completed, this capacity will increase to 7 crore (70 million) passengers annually. At present, its Terminal-1 (T1) is spread over a large area of about 1,38,000 square meters, which will increase to around 5,00,000 square meters by the end of the fourth phase. The length of its first runway is 3,900 meters and width is 45 meters. The runway is equipped with modern all-weather navigation systems and is fully capable of handling large-body aircraft.
New center not only for passengers but also for business
Any big airport not only brings passengers, but it also creates huge opportunities for employment and business. A huge cargo hub has been developed on 80 acres of land at Jewar Airport. Initially its capacity will be to handle 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of goods annually, which can be increased to 18 lakh metric tonnes in future.
Apart from this, a dedicated facility for maintenance and repair of aircraft (MRO – Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) has also been developed here on 40 acres. This will provide fast and easy connectivity to the manufacturing sector and industries of the country, which will play an important role in strengthening the economy.
PM Modi will inaugurate Jewar Airport tomorrow
This project has already received security clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), on Saturday, PM Modi will inspect the terminal building at 11:30 am and will inaugurate it at exactly 12 o’clock and will also address a public meeting.