The Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar district is set to miss its second deadline for launch, with officials indicating that the aerodrome licence required for flight operations is now expected in May. This development comes a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a meeting in Lucknow to review the airport's progress. The airport was initially slated for an October 2024 opening, which was later pushed to April 2025.

In a statement on Tuesday, Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann confirmed that the next major milestone would be the granting of the aerodrome licence, which is anticipated in May. He added that the airport would commence operations with domestic flights, with international services to follow in the subsequent months.

Last November, Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) CEO Arun Vir Singh had stated that the aerodrome licence was expected by March 20, with commercial operations likely to begin any time before April 17. He had also mentioned that three international flights were scheduled for the first day of operations, with potential routes under consideration for Europe and the Pacific region.

Monday’s review meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister, was attended by Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Tata Projects MD and CEO Vinayak Pai, Civil Aviation Secretary V Vualnam, Zurich International Airport MD Daniel Bircher, and Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann. While the meeting was expected to finalise key details regarding flight schedules, the number of flights, and categories of services, UP Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh declined to comment on the discussions when contacted.

Schnellmann’s latest statement highlights that the airport is steadily progressing towards operational readiness. He noted that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is advancing its work on the air traffic control tower, while the construction of the passenger terminal and associated infrastructure is also proceeding at pace. Discussions with the state and central governments regarding the commencement of commercial operations remain ongoing.