Noida is set to make its mark on the international aviation stage with the eagerly anticipated Jewar airport, which has been assigned the three-letter code ‘DXN’ by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IATA, a grouping of nearly 300 airlines that account for around 83 per cent of the global air traffic, assigns unique codes to airports worldwide for easier identification. This code, ‘DXN,’ signifies the airport’s strategic proximity to Noida, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh.
What makes the IATA code distinctive?
- The IATA code distinguishes each airport and acts as a universal identifier, resolving potential confusion between countries and cities.
- These codes are not solely documented on passengers’ travel materials but also play a crucial role in numerous routine communications.
- Whether it’s coordinating flight schedules, issuing tickets, facilitating baggage transfers between airports, or optimizing communication, operations, and logistics, IATA codes ensure consistent and structured airport identification at all operational levels.
Airport’s CEO calls it a ‘significant milestone’
The CEO of the airport, Christoph Schnellmann, emphasised the significance of this achievement, considering it a significant milestone toward the airport’s operationalization. With this code allocation, the airport takes a significant step closer to its future passengers, who will easily recognize it across various platforms as they embark on their journeys from there by the end of 2024.
Highlighting the significance of the ‘DXN’ code, Schnellmann underscored its representation of the airport’s strategic location in close proximity to Noida, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh. He emphasised that India’s National Capital Region, as one of the globe’s largest urban conglomerations, warrants the establishment of a second airport.
Presently, the NCR is served by two airports: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Hindon Airport, which handles some domestic flights. Once completed, the Noida airport is poised to become the largest airport in the country, spanning an expansive 5,000-hectare area and developed in four phases.
Airport construction work is going on at a fast pace
Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Swiss firm Zurich Airport International AG, is responsible for constructing the airport on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government. Construction is currently underway for the first phase, covering over 1,300 hectares. This initial phase is expected to be completed by September 2024 and will feature one runway and a terminal building with a capacity for 12 million passengers.
Airport construction is advancing swiftly, with Tata Projects being awarded the EPC construction contract over a year ago. Currently, the focus is on fabricating the structural steel necessary for the passenger terminal’s roof. The ATC tower has already reached a height exceeding 30 meters.
Additionally, subgrade work is underway along the entire runway length, with a workforce of nearly 7,000 laborers fully engaged at the site. In the coming months, more than 20 structures will take shape, encompassing a passenger terminal, an air traffic control tower, office buildings, sewage and water treatment facilities, and electric substations.