Noida International Airport launches operations with first scheduled flight
The new Noida International Airport (IATA: DXN) in the main economic region of Delhi began commercial operations today, as the first scheduled IndiGo flight, operated by an Airbus A320, landed from Lucknow shortly before 8:00 local time. The airport was developed and is operated by Switzerland's Flughafen Zürich AG.
The IndiGo aircraft, the first to land at the new airport, took off again shortly afterwards, this time bound for Bangalore. According to the airport operator, service will be gradually expanded in the coming months, with other airlines, including Akasa Air, set to join IndiGo. In its first phase of operation, Noida International Airport is expected to offer connections to 17 destinations.
Flughafen Zürich AG states that India is among the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. According to the operator, the new airport is set to bring additional passenger and cargo capacity to the economic region around the Indian capital of Delhi. It is also meant to help manage growing demand for air travel in northern India and further improve transport connectivity in one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
Daniel Bircher, Chief International Officer of Flughafen Zürich AG, said the airport was completed after roughly four years of construction, despite major challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical crises. He said the first scheduled flight marks another important step in the company's long-term engagement in the Indian aviation market.
According to Flughafen Zürich AG, international business is an important and growing part of the company's diversified business strategy. Noida is the second airport project the company has built from the ground up in India, after Bangalore. Following the successful development, launch and management of Bangalore Airport, Flughafen Zürich AG sold its remaining stakes in that project in 2017. In 2019, the company then won a contract for another major project in India - the construction and operation of Noida International Airport in the Delhi region, this time as the sole shareholder.
- IATA code
- DXN
- Phase 1 capacity
- 12 million pax/year
- Runways
- 1 runway
- Terminal
- 1 terminal
- Parking stands
- 25
- Phase 1 investment
- approx. CHF 750 mil.
- Final capacity
- 70 million pax/year
- Final number of runways
- 2 runways
According to Flughafen Zürich AG, further development of the airport is planned in four phases, with the final configuration featuring two runways and capacity for 70 million passengers a year. The company says that thanks to its investment in Noida, it now ranks among the largest infrastructure investors in India.
The development, construction and operation of the airport were entrusted to Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), which is working on the project together with the government of Uttar Pradesh state and the state concession authority Noida International Airport Limited under a public-private partnership. According to the operator, local management comprises both Indian and Swiss managers. YIAPL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG (ZAIA), which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Flughafen Zürich AG and, in addition to India, develops and operates airports in Latin America and the Caribbean.