New Delhi: Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Civil Aviation Minister, announced on Thursday that the international airport in Jewar, Noida, will be operational by the end of this year. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Scindia highlighted India's ascent to the fifth position in the global aviation market for both domestic and international passengers. He projected that by 2030, India will secure the third position in the world aviation market.

"Uttar Pradesh previously boasted six airports. Since the Modi government's tenure began, we've constructed four more airports in the state, with five more nearing completion. The Jewar airport is slated to commence operations by the end of this year, bringing UP's airport count to 16," he stated.

The upcoming Noida airport in Jewar, located in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district adjacent to Delhi, is anticipated to cater to an initial estimate of 6.5 million passengers annually. This figure is forecasted to escalate to 70 million passengers per year by 2042-43.

Scindia underscored the remarkable growth in airport infrastructure, noting that India had only 74 airports before 2014, a number that has since doubled to 149.

The surge in passenger traffic has been substantial, rising from 10 million to 145 million before the Covid-19 pandemic and reaching 152 million in 2023.

Scindia predicted that domestic passenger numbers in the country would surpass 300 million in the coming years.

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