Uttar Pradesh to get five new international airports soon, taking total to 13

The Uttar Pradesh state administration said on Monday that the state will have the most number of international airports in the country, ahead of the foundation-laying ceremony for the Noida International Airport at Jewar on November 25. The statement went on to add that this feat will be achieved under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

"With the ground breaking and foundation laying ceremony of the Noida International Airport scheduled on November 25, the state is now on its way to have five international airports - the highest for any state in India," the BJP-led state government said in a statement. "The Prime Minister's Gati Shakti National Master Plan has infused a sense of urgency into the plans for infrastructure development in the state," the statement stated.

5 more international airports planned for Uttar Pradesh

At present, Uttar Pradesh has eight operational airports, with another 13 airports and seven airstrips in the works. Until 2012, Uttar Pradesh had only two international airports: Lucknow and Varanasi. The third international airport in Kushinagar, which was inaugurated by Modi on October 20, is now operating, while work on the airport in Ayodhya is in full gear, with flight services likely to begin early next year, according to the statement. It was announced that the fifth international airport would be built in Jewar, near Noida, in the National Capital Region (NCR).

"The unique distinction of Uttar Pradesh in providing unmatched air connectivity in the country is in keeping with the government's commitment to ensure uninterrupted multi-modal connectivity on land, railways, water and air.

Noida International Airport (NIA) 72 km from the present IGI airport in New Delhi

The Plan is a digital platform that would bring 16 ministries together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects, including trains and roadways. The Noida International Airport (NIA) is being built near Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, in the NCR region. According to the statement, it is roughly 72 kilometres from the present IGI airport in New Delhi, 40 kilometres from Noida, and 40 kilometres from the multimodal logistics hub at Dadri.

Since it is close to the current Yamuna Expressway (Greater Noida to Agra), Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway at Ballabhgarh, Khurja-Jewar NH 91, the airport will have great multi-modal connectivity. It would also connect to the Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Noida-NIA Metro Extension, and the projected High-Speed Rail (Delhi-Varanasi) at the airport terminal. The statement said that phase one of the airport will have a capacity of 12 million passengers per year and will be completed in 36 months. The mentions of new airports in UP have been brought up by ministers previously. 

With inputs from PTI

(IMAGE: UNSPLASH)