NOIDA: Noida International Airport is set to start commercial flight operations to both domestic and international destinations from April 17 next year.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Noida International Airport Ltd (NIAL) — the govt’s special purpose vehicle for the project — on Tuesday. A detailed timeline outlining key clearances for the airport’s launch was presented by Yamuna International Airport Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Swiss airports major Zurich AG.
“The concessionaire has submitted a plan to start commercial operations by April 17. But we will try to bring the launch date forward. The timeline is crucial because any deviation from the April 17 deadline could result in a further six-month delay in securing international approvals and time slots from the International Air Transport Association (IATA),” said Arun Vir Singh, the NIAL CEO.
The airport — the second such facility in Delhi-NCR — was initially scheduled to begin operations by the end of Sept this year, with plans for up to 65 daily flights — 62 on domestic routes, two for international destinations and a cargo flight.
Singh suggested on Tuesday that the number of flights was unlikely to change next year. He said talks had been initiated with IATA for international slots and DGCA for domestic routes.
“Airlines have already submitted applications for international destinations. But the approval of routes will depend on bilateral licencing agreements between the countries and airlines. The domestic allocation meeting with DGCA is scheduled for the middle of this month. Slots will be determined then,” he said.
Singh insisted that at least one flight would leave for an international destination on the day of the launch.
Talking about the progress of the project, the NIAL CEO said flight trials, including those conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), were scheduled for Nov 30.
“Code C aircraft will participate in the trials in keeping with the requirements for necessary approvals. The airport’s partner airlines, including IndiGo and Akasa Air, will conduct full-crew flight tests to evaluate runway readiness and validate operational systems ahead of the launch,” he added.
Tuesday’s meeting followed a recent letter from the civil aviation ministry, which emphasised the need to finalise flight scheduling and conduct necessary trials before the launch.
Officials said DGCA had already inspected various calibrations while the instrument landing system (ILS) was set for tests from Oct 4 to 6.
A comprehensive report on the runway will also be submitted to DGCA by Oct 10, while other necessary documentation for flight procedures will be filed on Nov 15. Approvals to flight trials from DGCA are scheduled for Nov 25.
YIAPL, officials said, will apply for an aerodrome licence in Dec. The licence is expected to be issued by the middle of March.
Other essential information on the airport, such as codes and booking details, will be uploaded on the IATA website by Feb 6.
“Ticket bookings will open 90 days in advance for international flights and up to 60 days for domestic services. So, you can expect booking slots to open around Jan or Feb,” Singh said.
Following the meeting on Tuesday, a flight schedule report was submitted to the ministry of aviation.
The first phase of the international airport, covering 1,334 hectares in Jewar, will feature a runway and terminal designed to accommodate 12 million passengers annually. There are plans to expand the project to four phases to include multiple hubs.