Delhi-NCR is gearing up for a major leap in aviation. The Noida International Airport (NIA), one of India’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, is entering its final phase and is expected to welcome its first flights by late 2025.

Touted as a game-changer for the region, the airport could see as many as six million passengers in its debut year—signalling the scale of transformation set to unfold in the skies.

According to NIA’s Chief Executive Officer Christoph Schnellmann, the aeronautical infrastructure is largely complete. The passenger terminal’s roofing is in place, finishing touches are underway, and the Airports Authority of India is installing and testing equipment for the air traffic control tower. In parallel, the airport has entered its Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition (ORAT) programme, a series of rigorous trial runs and simulations that test everything from baggage systems and check-in counters to security screening and boarding gates. These dry runs are crucial to ensure passengers encounter a seamless journey from day one.

Terminal trials began in July, with full-scale testing of passenger flow and coordination between multiple stakeholders already in progress. Cargo operations, too, are on the horizon. The cargo terminal is nearing completion, and ORAT procedures for freight handling will commence shortly. Commissioning of the fuel farm and hydrant system is also scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.

As the airport prepares for launch, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has issued an interim tariff order. Departing domestic passengers will pay a User Development Fee (UDF) of INR 490, while international departures will be charged INR 980. Arriving passengers, too, will contribute INR 210 for domestic and INR 420 for international arrivals. These charges, valid until March 2026 or until a final tariff order is released, will support the airport’s early infrastructure costs.

NIA’s first phase includes one runway and a single terminal, with the capacity to serve up to 12 million passengers annually, double the projected first-year demand. But this is only the beginning. Over the next phases of development, the airport will expand to four runways and multiple terminals, eventually handling up to 70 million passengers a year. Once complete, it will rank among the largest aviation hubs in the country.

The road to this stage hasn’t been without bumps. Originally slated to open by the end of 2024, and later April 2025, construction deadlines were pushed due to global supply chain issues, especially in sourcing structural steel and roofing materials. Yet, despite the delays, connectivity plans are on track. IndiGo is expected to be the first carrier to launch services from NIA under a signed Memorandum of Understanding. Several foreign airlines have also expressed interest, setting the stage for international operations soon after the launch.

For travellers across northern India, the airport’s opening promises more than convenience. It will ease the heavy congestion at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport while offering state-of-the-art facilities and smoother connections for both business and leisure passengers. With its modern design, ambitious capacity, and strategic location in Jewar, NIA is not just another airport; it is a statement of India’s growing aviation aspirations.

As the countdown to late 2025 continues, the excitement is palpable. The skies above Delhi-NCR are about to get busier, and millions of travellers are ready for takeoff with Noida’s newest aviation hub.