Noida airport to start with only domestic flights; all you need to know

NOIDA: Noida International Airport is likely to get its aerodrome licence in May, but that does not mean flight operations will begin at the airport that month.
With the terminal building not yet complete, it is certain that the airport will miss its targeted launch date of April 17, but there's no word yet on what the new date could be.
On Monday, a review meeting of the airport was chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. TOI had reported last week that the terminal building is still only around 70% complete and the international floor, which is lagging behind, may not be complete by the time the airport is ready for operations.
Noida International Airport (NIA) officials have, meanwhile, told TOI it will have a separate VIP terminal that will also host a ceremonial lounge. While a majority of airports in India have a VIP lounge, the busiest ones like Delhi's IGI have ceremonial lounges to ensure speedy boarding and alighting of dignitaries.
"The VIP terminal is situated in the western precinct of the airport compound, near the west airside gate to facilitate seamless movement to and from aircraft. The VIP terminal is designated for use by VIPs and dignitaries and will feature a ceremonial lounge along with security and immigration facilities to process departures and arrivals," said an NIA official.
At IGI, VIPs drive to the ceremonial lounge and then take an elevator to the boarding level. Ditto on the way out. International dignitaries are welcomed on arrival at the lounge.
At the Lucknow meeting, sources said the CM expressed dissatisfaction at the slow progress of the terminal building. The airport is missing a second deadline, as a result. Its first was Sept 2024.
In a statement on Tuesday, NIA confirmed the airport will begin operations with only domestic flights. "Noida International Airport is making steady progress towards operational readiness. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is advancing its work at the air traffic control tower, while construction of the passenger terminal and associated infrastructure is progressing well. The next major milestone is granting of the aerodrome licence, expected in May," said a statement by NIA concessionaire YIAPL.
"The airport will begin operations with domestic flights, with international routes to follow in the subsequent months. Discussions are ongoing with the state and central govt regarding the start of commercial operations," it added.
Since the aerodrome licence is yet to be issued and the terminal remains incomplete, crucial processes such as setting up ticketing services, airline scheduling, and passenger management systems have not yet begun. Given these challenges, launching commercial operations in May seems unlikely.
The March 10 meeting was supposed to finalise the flight schedule, the number of flights, and categories of services to be launched initially. A detailed report on the airport's status was presented to the CM. However, following the review, no statement was issued on any of these aspects of the airport.
Earlier, govt's special purpose vehicle for the airport, Noida International Airport Ltd (NIAL), had announced operations would begin with around 30 flights – 25 domestic, three international and two cargo.
The concessionaire agreement includes a penalty clause of Rs 10 lakh per day for delays beyond the deadline. However, the state govt has not yet imposed any fines on YIAPL.