Amid the ongoing trials, Noida International Airport at Jewar in Greater Noida on Monday conducted its first-ever trial flight landing successfully, marking an important milestone in India’s aviation sector.

The Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) is responsible for overseeing the construction of the greenfield Noida International Airport at Jewar.

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The trial flight landing was a significant step in testing the airport’s readiness and also underlines the potential of the Noida International Airport as a future hub for air travel and cargo logistics.

An aircraft of IndiGo’s A320 successfully landed for the first time on the runway of Noida Airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh, and several other dignitaries, including MLAs, MPs, and DGCA officials were present on the occasion to witness this landmark moment.

On the first successful landing of the flight at the airport, MP Dr Mahesh Sharma and MLA Dhirendra Singh congratulated Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammanohar Naidu.

The Civil Aviation Minister said, “Economic activity in this entire region will get momentum after commencement of this airport. Earlier it was quite backward in terms of growth but with the arrival of the airport, Jewar has become known as a forward and economic growth centre.”

“This airport will not only drop passengers from one place to another but will also be a big cargo hub for business. Jobs will be generated and hospitality service will increase. Many industries related to the aero sector will grow here. This will be the new pillar of job creation in the future,” he added.

He added people will be able to travel within the country and abroad from Jewar Airport. All security related trials at the airport have been completed. With the first landing, Jewar Airport is ready for commercial services”.

Strict security arrangements were made for the first-ever trial flight landing at the airport. The trial flight, which came from the national capital and landed at 1.30 pm at Jewar, was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute.

The trial flight was carrying Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials, and technical experts. The team onboard gathered comprehensive technical data during the take-off, flight, and landing phases to ensure operational safety and efficiency.

During the trial, the aircraft performed a 15-minute flight before landing on the 3,900-metre runway at Jewar. After a brief 5-minute stop, the plane took off again. The collected data will be sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further analysis.

Trials will continue till December 15.

The first commercial flight from the airport is expected to take off in April next year.

Approximately 85 percent of the airport’s construction work has been completed. Advanced systems like CAT-1 and CAT-3 Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), which enhance aircraft visibility during foggy conditions, have already been installed and tested in October.

The first phase of the airport spans 1,334 hectares and is about 80 per cent complete. Scheduled for construction in four phases over 6,500 hectares, the airport will require an estimated investment of Rs 29,650 crore, with Rs 10,056 crore allocated for the first phase. So far, Rs 8,000 crore has already been spent.

The work of the 3.9 km runway is fully complete. The terminal Building is nearing completion with roof finishing and equipment installation works going on. A 38-metre-high Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower is fully operational.

Operated by Zurich International Airport AG, the Noida International Airport will have a 40-year management contract. Once operational in April, it will handle 65 flights per day, including 62 domestic, 2 international, and a cargo flight, serving 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion, the airport will become the fourth largest in Asia.