Noida International Airport, the national capital’s second airport, is expected to complete calibration and validation flights to verify aircraft arrival and departure procedures by December this year, according to its CEO, Christoph Schnellmann.
Following the successful completion of these flights, the airport plans to apply for an aerodrome license in December.
Flight operations are now anticipated to begin in April 2025, a delay from the initial timeline of December 2024, due to construction delays caused by supply-chain disruptions.
Calibration flights are crucial for verifying and fine-tuning navigation aids, runway lighting, and airspace to ensure safety before commercial operations. Validation flights, on the other hand, are test flights conducted to confirm that aircraft, crew, and procedures meet safety and regulatory standards before official operations commence.
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Kiran Jain, the Chief Operating Officer of Noida International Airport, stated that the runway has been constructed, with the next step being the installation of lights. Additionally, around 1,50,000 square meters surrounding the runway is being landscaped.
In its first phase, the airport will feature one runway and a passenger terminal capable of handling 12 million passengers annually.
The multi-modal cargo terminal, also under development, is expected to be completed by December. Initially, it will have a capacity of 2,00,000 tonnes per year, with plans to eventually increase this to 2 million tonnes per year.