Plan to launch flights from Noida International Airport announced by Akasa Air

The new Noida International Airport (NIA), which is anticipated to open by the end of this year, and the upstart airline Akasa Air signed a strategic collaboration on Friday, opening the door for the former to conduct flights from the latter. As a result, Akasa Air is now the second carrier to register with the NIA for operations.

The biggest airline in the nation, IndiGo, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NIA in November, making it the airport’s launch carrier.

The airline would base aircraft at the new airport being built in Jewar, western Uttar Pradesh, and conduct local and international flights from there, per the terms of the Akasa Air-NIA agreement, which was signed at Wings India 2024 in Hyderabad. The airline and the airport operator said that specifics of the agreement, such as the starting number of flights, will be decided upon closer to the airport’s operationalization.

With one runway and one terminal, the initial phase of the NIA would be able to accommodate 1.2 crore people per year in traffic. The airport will be able to handle 70 million people annually after the fourth phase is finished.

In addition to Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the main airport in India, the NIA will service the western region of Uttar Pradesh and the wider Delhi area. In a few years, the IGIA is probably going to reach saturation due to India’s quickly increasing aviation traffic. It is anticipated that the NIA would support the IGIA in meeting regional demand.

Joyous deal
In addition to the installation of navigational aids and other technical equipment, as well as equipment in the terminal that is still under construction, runway asphalting is now taking place, according to NIA Chief Executive Officer Christoph Schnellmann, who provided an update on the project’s status. According to Schnellmann, the terminal’s development is also proceeding according to plan. He also said that in the next months, NIA plans to reveal further alliances with aviation service providers and non-aeronautical industries including airport dining and retail.

In terms of connection, plans call for the integration of a quick rail corridor with the NCR’s future rapid rail transportation system. The government of Uttar Pradesh claims that the rail line would make it possible to link quickly and reliably with the IGIA. It would also link the NIA to Rajasthan and Haryana, increasing its catchment area even further.

For quick rail connection, a detailed project report (DPR) is now under preparation and should be completed in three months. After receiving DPR permission, the project, which is projected to cost more than Rs 16,000 crore, should be finished in around five years.

To connect the future airport to important thoroughfares like as the Delhi-Mumbai expressway and the network of dedicated rail freight corridors, more road and rail connections are also being planned.