Noida International Airport begins operations, set to become India's largest airport

The airport began operations on Monday and is planned to handle 7 crore passengers annually at full capacity.

Uttar Pradesh's fifth and the National Capital Region's second international airport began officially operating on Monday. The flight, which took off from Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, landed at the Noida International Airport in Jewar at 8.05 am.

The airport, which is being developed in phases, will begin with an annual passenger handling capacity of 1.2 crore, one runway and a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore. At full capacity, the airport is expected to handle up to 7 crore passengers annually with six runways, spread across nearly 13,000 acres. The full project is expected to cost about Rs 30,000 crore, and it will be Uttar Pradesh’s fifth and largest international airport, once finished.

EASING DELHI’S CONGESTION

The airport will ease congestion in one of India’s busiest airports, the Indira Gandhi International Airport. In August 2025, IGI Airport handled around 10.9 crore passengers, making it one of only six airports worldwide with such capacity. Passenger traffic in the capital airport has surged in recent years, tightening slots and increasing delays during peak hours, with limited room for expansion within Delhi.

But it is expected to do more than just ease pressure on Delhi; it is also expected to drive a sharp rise in housing demand, while also accelerating commercial development across the corridor.

Office and retail spaces are likely to see strong traction, especially as businesses look to expand into areas offering significantly lower rents than in Gurgaon and Delhi, without losing access to a consumer base with solid purchasing power.

According to Anarock Research, the average residential price in Noida is around Rs 4,780 per sq ft. In Greater Noida, they are about Rs 3,320 per sq ft, while along the Yamuna Expressway, prices hover close to Rs 3,350 per sq ft. This means the area is relatively affordable and has growth potential.

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