One runway, 150 daily flights, and a ₹12,000 crore investment — Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar Airport is on final approach
By AMIT KUMAR
Lucknow, March 11, 2026 — The Noida International Airport at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district is on track to become operational. The Uttar Pradesh government confirmed that 95 percent of Phase One construction has been completed. The remaining work is expected to wrap up by November 10.
“The Jewar Airport will emerge as a major transportation hub for Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh, strengthening regional connectivity and offering new options for both domestic and international flights,” a senior UP government official said.
Phase One: One Runway, 12 Million Passengers
In its first operational phase, the airport will function with a single runway and an annual passenger handling capacity of 1.20 crore — approximately 12 million passengers. Around 150 flights are expected to operate daily.
Once annual footfall crosses the 10 million mark, construction of a second runway will be triggered. With two runways in place, the airport’s capacity will scale to approximately 7 crore (70 million) passengers per year.
The first phase covers roughly 3,300 acres. Of the total 6,700 acres already acquired for the project, the remaining 5,100 acres is slated for acquisition over the next three months.
₹12,000 Crore Investment Driving India’s Largest Greenfield Airport
Land acquisition has cost approximately ₹5,000 crore, while construction expenditure stands at around ₹7,000 crore — bringing the current project outlay to nearly ₹12,000 crore.
When fully developed, Jewar Airport will feature five runways spread across approximately 11,750 acres, with an ultimate annual capacity of 30 crore (300 million) passengers — a figure that would place it among the largest airports in the world.
The project is expected to serve as a significant pressure valve for Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is operating under increasing strain as air travel demand surges across north India.
Economic Impact: Jobs, Logistics, and Global Investment
Beyond aviation, the Jewar Airport is positioned as a catalyst for industrial and economic transformation across the Delhi-NCR region and western Uttar Pradesh. Authorities expect the project to generate large-scale direct and indirect employment while boosting logistics, tourism, trade, and manufacturing activity in surrounding areas.
The UP government has also signalled that the airport will play a strategic role in elevating Uttar Pradesh’s profile on India’s global investment and trade map — consistent with the state’s broader push to attract foreign direct investment and position itself as a leading business destination.
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