Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Civil Aviation Minister, declared on Thursday that the international airport in Jewar, Noida, is set to be operational by the end of this year. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Scindia highlighted that India has become the world’s fifth-largest aviation market in terms of both domestic and international passengers. He further predicted that by 2030, India would ascend to the position of the third-largest aviation market globally.
Scindia stated, “Uttar Pradesh had six airports. After the Modi government came to power, we have built four more airports in the state, and soon, five more airports will be ready. Jewar airport will also be ready for operations by the end of this year. So by the end of this year, UP will have 16 airports.”
The upcoming Noida airport, situated in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar district adjacent to Delhi, is anticipated to initially cater to 65 lakh passengers annually. This figure is expected to rise to seven crore passengers per year by 2042-43.
Scindia highlighted the significant growth in the country’s aviation infrastructure, stating that India had only 74 airports before 2014, and the number has now increased to 149. The passenger count has also seen a substantial surge, reaching 14.5 crore in the pre-Covid era and 15.20 crore in 2023.
The Civil Aviation Minister projected that the number of domestic passengers in the country would reach 30 crore in the coming years.