Noida: Noida International Airport, which received its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 6, may be inaugurated on March 28, though officials say a final confirmation is still awaited.Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said an invitation has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the airport on the date. He was speaking in Lucknow at the launch of the book ‘Nav Nirman Ke 9 Varsh’ marking nine years of the BJP govt in the state. “UP now has 16 domestic and four international airports. The fifth and largest airport in the country is coming up in Jewar. We have requested the Prime Minister to inaugurate it on March 28,” Adityanath said.The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), however, said it has not yet received any official communication confirming the date. Earlier, NIAL nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia said the airport could be formally inaugurated in the last week of March and the flight operations can begin within about 45 days.So far, three airlines — IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India Express — have confirmed plans to operate flights from the airport. In its initial phase, routes are expected to connect major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The exact number of flights have not been finalised.The DGCA nod came a day after the airport received security clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Calibration flights to test the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) at the airport were completed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in Nov last year. Even as clarity on the inauguration remains pending, district authorities have accelerated preparations. On Tuesday, district magistrate Medha Roopam chaired a joint meeting of the Airport Emergency Planning Committee (AEPC) and the Airport Environment Management Committee (AEMC) to review readiness and inter-agency coordination.Officials said that the airport has been declared a no-drone zone and prohibited the use of laser lights within an 18-kilometre radius to prevent aviation hazards. A detailed review of emergency response systems, coordination protocols and infrastructure readiness was presented to Roopam. Representatives from the fire department, health services, the District Disaster Management Authority and YEIDA also participated in the meeting.Roopam directed agencies to maintain coordination to ensure a swift and integrated response to any emergency. She also emphasised the need for continued training of district-level personnel.Christoph Schnellmann, chief executive officer of Noida International Airport, said the AEPC and AEMC committees operate under the ministry of civil aviation’s disaster management plan and DGCA guidelines. Officials also reviewed mock drills conducted so far and called for further strengthening of preparedness.
