Noida airport starts validation flight in step to starting operation

The upcoming Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar concluded its first validation flight on Monday, marking a key step in the run-up to the green field airport starting commercial operations a few months later.

This is a compulsory regulatory process before starting operations and follows the successful October calibration of the Instrument Landing System and other process by the Airports Authority of India, directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and successful Simulator trials of the RNP (Required Navigation Performance) procedures.

The validation flight is being conducted on an Airbus A-320 aircraft to test the navigation procedures and landing approach procedures. It is a set of navigation specifications that allow aircraft to fly precise flightpaths with high accuracy.


"This milestone reflects the dedication and meticulous planning that has gone into ensuring the airport is ready for commercial operations. We are gearing up for the airport’s opening and look forward to welcoming passengers to the airport,” Noida airport CEO Christoph Schennlmann said in a statement.

Construction of the airport, a high profile project, has been delayed by four months with commercial operations are now slated to begin in April 2025 as against the original deadline of end 2023, a spokesperson of Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL), the company which is building, the airport said.

NIAL is owned by Zurich Airport which won the bid to construct the airport in 2019, some 18 years after it was first conceptualised by then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Rajnath Singh.

Indian airlines are facing a constraint of capacity in metro airports. The two new airports at Noida and Navi Mumbai are expected to bring more capacity, bringing relief to airlines which have ordered more than 1,200 aircraft over the last one year.