The Centre has sanctioned a 1,700-member armed security force from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for the upcoming Noida international airport, scheduled to commence operations in April 2025. The officials made the announcement on Tuesday (June 25), highlighting the Union home ministry’s recent approval of the aviation security deployment plan and the comprehensive survey conducted by security agencies for the greenfield airport.
According to PTI, the CISF, which is designated as India’s national civil aviation security force, currently oversees security at 68 airports across the country, employing approximately 38,000 personnel.
CISF deployed for protection at civil airports
Tasked with safeguarding civil airports from potential threats including terrorism and sabotage, the force utilises armed commandos, friskers, and intelligence officials to ensure security measures are upheld.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the Noida airport unit will comprise both male and female personnel under the leadership of a deputy inspector general-rank officer. This security deployment is specifically intended for the initial phase of the airport’s operational rollout.
The CISF, operating under the home ministry as a Central Armed Police Force, assumed responsibility for securing civil airports following the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines’ Kathmandu-Delhi flight IC-814 to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Jaipur airport marked the CISF’s inaugural security assignment in February 2000, laying the foundation for its subsequent nationwide presence in aviation security.
Noida International Airport launch delayed
Originally slated to begin operations in September, the airport’s timeline has been extended to April 2025 due to construction delays. Located in the Jewar area of Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district, approximately 75 kilometers southeast of Delhi, the ambitious public-private partnership project is touted to become India’s largest airport upon completion.
Spanning an expansive 5,000 hectares across four phases of development, the airport’s first phase will feature a single runway and a terminal building designed to handle an annual passenger capacity of 1.2 crore, as confirmed by project officials.