New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh government signed the concessionaire agreement with Zurich Airport on Wednesday to kickstart the work for development of Jewar Airport. In November last year, the Zurich Airport International AG had won bid for building the greenfield airport in Greater Noida’s Jewar but the concessionaire agreement signing got delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic.
As per a statement, UP govt said that the agreement grants Zurich Airport International the licence to build and operate it for a period of forty years.
“The NIA will be developed as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to open in 2024, and will merge Indian culture and hospitality with Swiss technology and efficiency. India’s newest greenfield airport will deliver quick, efficient processes and excellent value for passengers, airlines and partners,” the statement said.
Joining the select league of world’s biggest airports
The first phase of the airport will be constructed by 2024. Spreading over 5000 hectares, it will be the biggest in India with 6 runways. It is estimated to cater to 70 million passengers annually by 2040-2050.
The airport will have 6 runways, similar to the world’s largest airports. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, currently the biggest in the country has 3 runways.
Jewar airport, after completion, will be among one of the 3 largest airports in the world, on lines of O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, US.
The O’Hare Airport is spread in more than 7,200 acres and has eight runways while the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and Daxing Airport has seven runways each.
India’s first digital airport
Jewar international airport will also be India’s “first digital airport”. It will provide a face and contactless travel experience, with customised commercial offerings for passengers and will also be first net-zero emissions airport.
“The signing of the concession agreement marks an important milestone in the development of the NIA. When the first phase of development is completed in 2024, we will provide capacity for 12 million passengers per year,” said SP Goyal, Additional Chief Secretary, CM and Civil Aviation Department of the UP government.
“In partnership with the government of UP and the government of India, Zurich Airport International looks forward to making this airport a major player in Indian air transportation and a benchmark for ease of use for passengers and logistic partners,” Daniel Bircher, Chief Executive Officer of Zurich Airport International (Asia) stated.
