The day of 28 March 2026 has been recorded in golden letters in the history of Uttar Pradesh. The inauguration of Noida International Airport (Jewar) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not just the opening of an airport, but a story of a 25-year-long struggle, the ups and downs of politics and the coming true of the hopes of crores of people. The project which was once buried on paper, is now ready to become one of the most modern aviation centers in Asia. Come, let’s take a look at this exciting journey from 2001 to 2026.
The beginning: Rajnath Singh’s vision (2001-2010)
The foundation of this mega-project was laid in the year 2001, when the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Rajnath Singh proposed an International Airport and Aviation Hub to give a boost to the regional economy. However, after this this file remained in cold storage for a long time. In 2010, Chief Minister Mayawati revisited it and obtained the necessary clearance from the Defense Ministry, giving this dream some life for the first time.
Distance controversy and Agra’s turning point (2012–2015)
In 2012, the project suffered a major setback when the UPA government at the Center put the proposal on hold citing its distance from Delhi’s IGI Airport as being less than 150 kilometers. After this, in 2013, the then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tried to shift it from Jewar to Agra, so that the condition of 200 km distance from IGI could be fulfilled. However, after the BJP government came to power at the Center in 2014, this project again returned to its original place i.e. Jewar.
Land acquisition and legal process (2017-2019)
Real work began on 6 July 2017 when construction site permission was received. After this, the way was cleared for land acquisition through Home Ministry’s NOC, Social Impact Assessment and legal processes like Section 17 and 19. On 25 May 2019, the administration started distributing compensation to the farmers and taking possession of the proposed land started in August 2019.
Arrival and foundation stone of Zurich Company (2019-2021)
On 29 November 2019, Zurich Airport International AG won the contract to build this airport by making the highest bid. After this, on 25 November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the grand foundation stone of the International Airport in Jewar, after which the construction work started in mission mode.
Final milestone from trial to inauguration (2024-2026)
The last two years were very important for jewellery. On December 9, 2024, the trial of aircraft movement on the runway took place for the first time. Subsequently, in early March 2026, the ‘Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety’ gave complete safety approval and the final aerodrome license was issued on 6 March 2026.