NEW DELHI: India opened a second international airport in the capital on Saturday (Mar 28), as part of the country's rapid push to expand its air industry.
The Noida International Airport is 75km from the city, and will serve 12 million passengers a year in its initial phase, with the potential to grow to as many as 70 million. It will also handle cargo, with the capacity to increase operations over time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport, a greenfield project in Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state with estimated 243 million people.
Modi said he hoped the airport would become a gateway to the wider Delhi region and, once fully operational, a flight would take off every two minutes.
It will complement the existing Indira Gandhi International Airport, 15km from the centre. Together, the two airports will function as an integrated aviation system, easing congestion, expanding passenger capacity, and positioning Delhi NCR among leading global aviation hubs.