Noida International Airport (NIA) has completed the final floor level of the passenger terminal and has started the work on façade. The Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower has also reached its full height of 38 mtrs., and the runway is being paved.
These two components are expected to be completed by March 2024, and will be handed over to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the installation of navigation, instrument landing systems, and other equipment. The upcoming airport is likely to be operational in about a year.
Due to its classification as a critical infrastructure project, construction at the airport is exempt from the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) implemented to combat extreme pollution levels in the NCR. This exemption ensures that construction activities remain unaffected, allowing the airport to stay on schedule. Schnellmann emphasized the commitment to having the airport operational before the end of the next calendar year, although additional approval procedures for the transportation of certain construction materials are still pending.
Schnellmann provided a detailed update on the upcoming airport, revealing that the phase-I capacity will be able to accommodate 12 million passengers annually when it opens in December next year. The passenger terminal is currently undergoing the installation of structural steel, and the facade work has already begun. Other buildings, structures, and utilities, such as water treatments and electric facilities, are in advanced stages of completion. A dedicated workforce of approximately 7,500-8,000 individuals is tirelessly working around the clock on the airport construction. This week, the entire management board of Zurich Airports will be visiting India to review the progress.
The terminal will feature body scanners and 3D computed tomography X-ray (CTX) machines for cabin bag checks once it becomes operational. CTX machines eliminate the need for passengers to remove personal electronic devices and liquids from their cabin bags, thereby reducing the chaos at security checkpoints during peak departure times.
Concurrently, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is working on an interchange which will connect the airport site to the Yamuna Expressway. Furthermore, the government is working to build independent road access from the east in order to separate cargo and industrial traffic from passenger traffic. Meanwhile, government agencies are also finalizing plans for various modes of connectivity such as trains, metros, and rapid rail. NIA has allocated a site near the car park for a multi-modal station that will provide train, metro, and bus access to the airport.
Copyright © 2024 HomesIndiaMagazine. All Rights Reserved.
