Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann in an interview with The Indian Express said that the airport is on track to begin operations by the end of 2024. He said the airport is now up to the first floor and that work is being done in the third floor of the air traffic control (ATC) tower. The runway is also seeing work across its entire length, he added.
Speaking about the operational readiness, Schnellmann said that over the next 18 months they will be focussing on infrastructure. This year, a lot of work will circle around concluding the process of picking out aeronautical partners and starting the process of selecting retail and food services partners for the airport.
The airport is being planned to open as an international airport. Schnellmann said initially the majority of traffic will be domestic. The NIA has also reached out to international carriers in several regions to apprise them of the upcoming Delhi-NCR airport.
Expanding airlines from Delhi’s IGI to Noida International Airport
On being asked about their discussions surrounding convincing airlines to move from Delhi’s IGI airport to the new Noida airport, Schnellmann said, “In our interactions with airlines, there’s a lot of interest (in Noida airport).” He added that in an attempt to have an airport that fits well with airlines and passengers, the NIA had been engaging with airlines since before they submitted their bid in 2019. They have taken inputs from airlines on several things, including designing infrastructure, requirements to facilitate quick turnaround times and fast transfers between flights.
“Ultimately, it’s up to the airlines to design their network and to decide where they base their aircraft, and that’s a function of how much the airport meets their requirements and how strong the catchment is,” Schnellmann further said. “And we think Noida International Airport ticks both those boxes,” he added.
Responding to a question on having apprehensions about Noida airport getting branded as a low-cost airline airport in the NCR region, he said he will let the passengers and carriers be the judge of that.