Noida |The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday issued the aerodrome licence for the Noida International Airport in Jewar, marking a key step towards the commencement of flight operations, officials said.

The development was confirmed to PTI by Rakesh Kumar Singh, the chief executive officer of Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority.

Nodal officer of NIAL, Shailendra Bhatia, said the aerodrome licence has been issued in accordance with civil aviation rules for domestic flights and cargo operations.

Bhatia said that the remaining deployment and operational arrangements at the airport are expected to be completed within the next 45 days, and the airport infrastructure is now fully ready.

Officials said the airport will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in future.

The greenfield airport being developed in a PPP model in Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar is expected to become one of the largest airports in the country once fully operational.

The first phase of the project, spread over 1,300 hectares with one runway and one terminal building, is slated to handle 1.2 crore passengers annually, officials said.

The airport was originally scheduled to commence passenger services in September 2024.