New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the first phase of the Noida International Airport at Jewar, built at a cost of ₹11,282 crore, with the project expected to strengthen connectivity for the Awadh region. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several ministers were present.

The airport is part of a larger ₹29,560 crore plan aimed at developing a major aviation hub in north India. The prime minister also inaugurated the cargo terminal and laid the foundation stone for a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility. A day earlier, Modi said the project would ease congestion at Indira Gandhi International Airport and boost commerce.

Key facts and Awadh link

1. The airport is among India’s largest greenfield projects, developed under a public private partnership model with Phase 1 investment of around ₹11,200 crore.

2. Of this, ₹6,876 crore has been invested by the concessionaire and ₹4,406 crore by the state on land acquisition. The first phase includes one runway and one terminal with capacity of 1.2 crore passengers annually.

3. Uttar Pradesh now has five international airports, improving access for regions like Lucknow and Ayodhya in the Awadh belt.

4. The airport will act as a second international airport for Delhi NCR, complementing IGI Airport and handling rising passenger demand.

5. It has an initial capacity of 12 million passengers per annum, scalable up to 70 million, with a 3,900 metre runway for wide body aircraft and all weather operations.

6. The cargo terminal will handle 2.5 lakh metric tonnes annually, expandable to 18 lakh metric tonnes, aiding trade from central Uttar Pradesh including Awadh districts.

7. Planned as a multi modal hub, it integrates road, rail, metro and regional transport, reducing travel time for Awadh.

8. The terminal design draws from Indian heritage, inspired by Varanasi and Haridwar architecture.

9. CEO Christoph Schnellmann said the airport will connect Delhi region and western Uttar Pradesh with global destinations.

10. The airport has received aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, confirming operational readiness.

Officials said the development is expected to support tourism, trade and passenger movement across the Awadh landscape while strengthening the state’s aviation network.