NEW DELHI – India launched its second international airport for the Delhi National Capital Region on March 28, accelerating the nation’s drive to cement its status as a global aviation powerhouse amid explosive economic growth.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Noida International Airport, a greenfield project in Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar area, 75km from central Delhi. In its first phase, it will handle 12 million passengers annually and cargo operations, with scalability to 70 million passengers over time.
Modi hailed it as a gateway for western Uttar Pradesh’s 243 million residents, promising flights every two minutes at full capacity. “This will ignite economic activity, empowering farmers, small businesses, and youth,” he said during the ceremony.
The facility complements the bustling Indira Gandhi International Airport just 15km from the city center, forming an integrated system to slash congestion and elevate Delhi NCR as a top-tier global hub.
India’s aviation surge, bolstered by its 1.4 billion population and booming economy, positions it as the world’s fourth-largest air market. Since Modi’s 2014 push for connectivity between small towns and megacities, airports have more than doubled from 74 to 157 by 2024, per aviation ministry data.