The most populous country in the world — and the third largest aviation market — is in a phase of rapid expansion, investing heavily in infrastructure
It is one of the most ambitious aviation projects, having even been considered one of the largest in South Asia. It has just been opened, more than four years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially started the project.
“I am happy to have had the privilege of laying the foundation stone of this airport and also to be able to inaugurate it,” Modi said at a ceremony that took place at this airport on March 28.
The announcement brings much-needed publicity to the Indian aviation industry: it is facing difficulties, especially at a time when the world is dealing with fuel shortages in the midst of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, which led to the blocking of the departure of many ships transporting oil from the Middle East.
Noida International Airport, codename DXN, is located in the Greater Delhi region. The state of Uttar Pradesh, which hosts this infrastructure, now becomes the first in India to have five international airports.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of Noida International Airport on March 28, 2026 (Sunil Ghosh/Hindustan Times/SIPA)
This is the most significant step for Indian aviation since the inauguration of Navi Mumbai International Airport, which took place in October, serving the country’s financial capital.
The most populous country in the world — and the third largest aviation market — is in a phase of rapid expansion, investing heavily in infrastructure.
However, for now, Noida International Airport is far from reaching its full potential. Flights are only expected to start in mid-April and services will be implemented gradually, keeping in mind the initial objective of accommodating 12 million passengers per year. This number is expected to rise to 70 million by 2050 — a figure that would exceed the number of passengers transported in the pre-war period at what is currently the busiest airport in the world, Dubai International Airport.
The total cost of the airport was 296 billion rupees (2.7 billion euros). The inauguration, which was initially scheduled for September 2024, ended up being postponed several times, until the equipment was finally declared operational.
Noida International Airport has had several lives. It was initially designed as Taj International Airport in 2001. However, the actual planning would begin in 2018 and 2019.
Even though the name has changed, the intention has remained. Subhash Goyal, chairman of the Aviation and Tourism Commission of India, explains that Noida’s location, south of Delhi, facilitates access to the Taj Mahal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts tourists to the city of Agra every year. Delhi, Agra and Jaipur form the so-called “golden triangle”, explored by many travelers visiting India for the first time.
“This airport should have been built a long time ago,” says Goyal.
Check-in and customs counters at departure at Noida International Airport (Sunil Ghosh/Hindustan Times/Getty Images)
India makes no secret of its desire to compete with other top tourism markets. Big cities like Paris, Beijing or New York have at least two airports, which helps to disperse the crowds.
The objective of Noida International Airport is to “connect the metropolitan region of Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh with other cities in India and the world”, according to a press release from the airport itself. Uttar Pradesh is Modi’s electoral stronghold. Furthermore, its Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been committed to developing India’s medium-sized cities.
“Airplanes will leave from here for the whole world. This airport will also become a symbol of a developed state of Uttar Pradesh,” Modi said. “Noida is today ready to welcome the entire world. The entire region is strengthening the will of [nossa política] Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which means “self-reliant India”, is one of Modi’s fundamental policies, with the aim of transforming the country into a nation that no longer depends on the outside world for technology and production.
This image shows an aerial view of what Noida International Airport will look like when its next phase is completed (NIA)
Located in the city of Jewar, about 80 kilometers southeast of New Delhi, authorities hope the new Noida airport will help ease congestion at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Despite efforts to compete with international markets, India’s aviation sector has struggled to meet demand.
However, aviation analyst Sanjay Lazar, also from India, warns that the new airport will not be a magic solution, especially with regard to traffic in the capital.
“The interconnectivity is not yet fully completed, but there is an expressway that is ready and that should be a great advantage”, he says. “Ideally, there should be a high-speed train or a metro connecting the airports to Delhi.”
Still, India continues to invest in its aviation dreams, with Modi leading the charge. At the inauguration ceremony of Navi Mumbai International Airport last year, the official highlighted that in 2014, India had 74 airports. Today, more than a decade later, there are 160 – and that number continues to grow.
“Aviation is booming in India,” says analyst Lazar. “And so it will continue, at least, for the next two decades.”
