Noida airport set to open this December, likely to operate domestic and cargo flights initially

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has granted airside security clearance to the Noida International Airport (NIA) paving the way for the airport to start operations later this year. The clearance, granted this Monday, is a key requirement for securing the aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The airport, which has faced multiple delays — the most recent being April 2025 — is now expected to be inaugurated between late November and early December, according to a report of Times of India. Typically, flight operations at new airports commence four to six weeks after inauguration.

Given that the fog season in north India begins by late December, NIA is preparing to handle low-visibility conditions from day one. “NIA is being equipped with CAT-III infrastructure in its first phase, allowing safe aircraft operations even during poor visibility. Calibration and regulatory approvals are currently underway,” an airport spokesperson said.


CAT-III certified runways allow landings in low visibility — CAT-IIIA operations when runway visibility is 300-175 metres and CAT-IIIB when it drops to 175-50 metres. The DGCA is expected to test and certify these systems ahead of the airport’s operational launch.

NIA, located in the middle of open fields, may face visibility challenges during winter until urban development around the airport improves conditions, much like what happened around other major airports in Indian cities.

The airport will initially operate domestic and cargo flights, with a handling capacity of 1.2 crore passengers annually. Terminal 1 is set to be nearly doubled, increasing capacity to 3 crore passengers per annum (CPA). Future phases will see the addition of a second runway and terminal, expanding capacity to 5 CPA and eventually 7 CPA.

The Uttar Pradesh government has ambitious long-term plans for NIA, with several more runways and terminals proposed. Delhi’s IGI Airport followed a similar expansion trajectory, with new runways and terminals added decades after commercial operations moved from Safdarjung Airport in 1962 to meet growing air traffic demand.