Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) announced that the first flight validation test for Noida International Airport will take place on Monday, December 9, marking a major milestone ahead of its commercial operations scheduled for April 2025.
A flight from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) will reach the airport site in Jewar at 12 pm for the technical assessment, overseen by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), officials said on Sunday.
“This flight will remain in the air for one and a half hours above the Noida airport to record all requisite data. This data will be critical for flight validation and a key step in ensuring the airport’s readiness to handle passenger services,” said Shailendra Bhatia, nodal officer, NIAL.
The trial, which was initially slated to be on November 15, will involve landing and take-off from the airport’s 3.9-kilometre operational run, officials said.
It will also assess systems like runway performance, airspace coordination, communication protocols, and emergency response readiness, they added. The data collected will be submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for review.
The test will be conducted by AAI’s technical team in collaboration with Noida International Airport staff.
“We aim to complete the validation process by December 15, after which the airport concessionaire will apply for an aerodrome license, a key requirement for commercial operations,” Bhatia added.
Officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, NIAL, and Uttar Pradesh Civil Aviation Department, including senior IAS officer SP Goyal, will supervise the flight test.
Following this trial, airline partners such as Akasa and Indigo Airlines may also conduct their trial operations, NIAL officials said.
Earlier milestones include the successful calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) in October 2024, completed by AAI in collaboration with DGCA, officials said. The ILS ensures precise guidance during approach and landing, especially in low-visibility conditions, while PAPI assists with safe descent, they added.
The Noida International Airport project, developed by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich International AG, is currently over 85% complete in its first phase.
According to NIAL officials, the terminal building is nearing completion, with equipment installation planned soon. The 38-meter-tall Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower is ready, and its communication systems will be tested during the trial.
Spread across 1,334 hectares, the airport is being developed in four phases with an investment of ₹29,650 crore.
The first phase, costing ₹10,056 crore, is designed to cater to 12 million passengers annually. Zurich International AG will manage the airport for the next 40 years.
NIAL has directed the concessionaire to fast-track work and ensure readiness for domestic and international flights by April 17, 2025, to meet the timeline for the airport’s commercial launch.
“We have directed the concessionaire to ensure commercial operations start by the end of April 2025. All clearances and flight trials are progressing on time,” Bhatia said.