Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase I at Jewar on Saturday, with the cargo terminal opened and a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility launched at the foundation stage.
- The first phase cost about Rs 11,200–11,282 crore and is built for 12 million passengers a year, with a 3,900-metre runway, instrument landing system and airfield lighting for round-the-clock operations.
- NIA received its DGCA aerodrome licence on March 6, and officials expect domestic services to start in April–May 2026 with roughly 30 daily flights at launch, rising toward about 65 as airlines IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India Express ramp up.
- Planned as part of an integrated network with Delhi’s IGI, the airport sits on the Yamuna Expressway and ties into new road links, while its cargo hub targets over 2.5 lakh tonnes a year initially with scope to expand toward 18 lakh tonnes.
- Developed under a PPP by Zurich Airport’s subsidiary YIAPL with the Uttar Pradesh government, the project is part of a larger Rs 29,560 crore build-out that officials say will cut travel times for western UP and create jobs in ground handling, logistics and aviation services.