Noida airport inaugurated: When will commercial flights begin? Which destinations will be covered?
Notable, the airport, which has missed several deadlines, has already received its aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The first phase of the Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar was inaugurated on Saturday by PM Narendra Modi. The airport is set to become the largest in India once fully constructed, with the capacity to handle 225 million passengers each year, officials said.
The Noida International Airport will serve as the main international hub for cities including Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura and Agra. It will also provide access to several religious and tourist spots.
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The big question now is when will flight operations begin? Notably, the airport, which is finally inaugurated after multiple delays to the launch, has already received its aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a crucial step before operations can commence.
When were flight operations expected to begin?
The project has seen repeated delays. It was first planned for September 2024, then pushed to mid-2025 for opening and operations to be followed later.
In 2025, flights were expected to start from Noida airport on April 17, 2025, with around 30 flights planned to various destinations worldwide. Back then, officials had told HT that 25 of these planned flights would be national, three international and two cargo. The international routes included Zurich, Singapore and Dubai. Domestic routes were planned for Lucknow, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Dehradun, Hubli and others.
The inauguration was later rescheduled to October 30, 2025, with operations expected to commence within 45 days, initially linking at least 10 cities.
When will commercial flights begin now?
The DGCA released the aerodrome license to the airport on March 6, 2026. After this approval, cargo and domestic flights were expected to start within 45 days, as per the project plan.
This suggests that commercial flight services may commence between mid-April and May 2026.
International flight services are likely to begin from September this year, officials told HT previously.
Reservations for international flights will open around 90 days before the airport starts operations, while domestic tickets will be available about six weeks ahead.
How many flights will take off in the first stage? Which locations will be covered?
There is no confirmed number yet on how many flights will operate from Noida airport or which destinations will be included in the first stage.
However, as officials told HT previously, domestic flights are likely to start first to major metro cities. These may include Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other cities, as planned.
The wait is finally over. With its official opening on March 28, 2026, Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar is ready to welcome its first passengers. Having secured both its DGCA aerodrome license and BCAS security clearance, the airport is no longer a blueprint—it is a hi-tech reality.
If you will be amongst the first to fly out of India’s newest aviation hub, here is a step-by-step guide to exactly what you will encounter, from the parking lot to the boarding gate.
The 1,200-Slot Smart Parking
Your journey starts just steps away from the terminal. Unlike the long treks frequently required at older airports, Jewar features a dedicated parking zone for 1,200 cars situated directly in front of the building. The layout is designed to eliminate “the long walk,” connecting personal vehicle drop-offs directly to the terminal entrance via a series of strategically placed lifts and escalators to manage heavy luggage with ease.
No More Shuttles:
Forget the confusion of moving between Terminal 1, 2, or 3. Jewel operates on a Single Integrated Terminal design. This vertical split keeps things simple: the Upper Level is dedicated completely to departures, while the Lower Level handles all arrivals. A common concourse acts as the heart of the building, allowing passengers to transition between levels using four high-capacity lifts and escalators without ever leaving the building.
The airport operator has set an ambitious target: a 10-minute check-in and bag-drop timeline. This is achieved through a “frictionless” layout. Upon entering via one of the eight entry gates (each equipped with eight access points to prevent bottlenecks), passengers will find a front-facing check-in area. All gates are Digi Yatra integrated, allowing for biometric, contactless entry for a quicker transition to the counters.
Kiosks and Bag Drops: For the modern passenger, the terminal is packed with self-service kiosks. If you’ve checked in online, you can head straight to the self-bag drop facility. Here, you can tag your own baggage and send it into the system in seconds. For those who prefer the human touch, full-service airline counters for IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express are positioned conspicuously at the front of the hall.
Boarding and Bus Lounges:
Once past security, passengers will find a streamlined route to one of the 10 boarding gates. For regional flights or specific parking stands, there are 2 dedicated bus gates. These are located one level further down, equipped with the same high-end seating and amenities as the upper lounges to ensure that the wait for the shuttle is just as convenient as the gate-side experience.
On Day 1, you will experience the birth of a gigantic. While the airport starts with a single runway and a capacity for 12 million travelers annually, the roadmap is massive. By 2040, Jewar is slated to have five runways and handle 70 million travelers, eventually becoming India’s largest airport spanning over 4,752 hectares.
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