New Delhi: The Noida international airport at Jewar is set to be renamed Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar, after the Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved the proposal on Friday. The proposed name would place the airport alongside major Indian aviation hubs named after former prime ministers, including Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi.
Briefing reporters in Lucknow, The Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, announced the decision, saying the state cabinet had expressed its gratitude to prime minister, Narendra Modi, for the airport. He described the project as a major contribution to Uttar Pradesh and said it was expected to emerge as the state’s largest airport and a major aviation hub.
From Indira Gandhi to Chaudhary Charan Singh
Several major airports across India commemorate former prime ministers and prominent national leaders. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is the country’s principal aviation gateway, while Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport bears the name of the prime minister who served from 1984 to 1989.
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi honours India’s second prime minister. In Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is named after the former prime minister, who also served as the state’s chief minister.
There are other airports that have been named after notable personalities from the nation like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. Naming of the new airport would mean adding yet another name of a prime minister to India’s aviation map.
Jewar airport designed for large-scale expansion
The first phase of Jewar airport was developed at a cost of ₹11,282 crore, with an initial annual passenger-handling capacity of 1.2 crore. The capacity is planned to increase to seven crore passengers annually through future expansion, as the airport takes on a larger role in serving the national capital region.
The airport features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft and an Instrument Landing System (ILS) at both ends.
The project is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Zurich Airport International AG, in association with Noida International Airport Limited, the implementing agency for the Uttar Pradesh government.
Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport on March 28. Planned as a multimodal transport hub with air, road and other transport links, the facility is expected to expand regional connectivity and provide additional capacity for domestic and international air travel.