People thronged Noida’s Jewar amid a festive atmosphere on Saturday morning ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of the state’s most ambitious airport project.
The celebratory mood at the venue was enhanced by cast brass instruments from Kanpur, drummers and dancers from Mahoba and trumpeters from various parts of Uttar Pradesh. Many people were seen coming with the national flag while some were also holding BJP flags.
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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote on X, “The development journey of ‘New Uttar Pradesh’ in ‘New India’ is all set to touch another golden pinnacle today.”
He went on to say, “The grand inauguration of the first phase of the Noida International Airport at Jewar is to take place today at the hands of our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Adityanath said the airport will serve as an airstrip for the development of Uttar Pradesh.
“From here, dreams of the youth will take off, possibilities will be realized and the future will soar to new heights. Special congratulations to our farming brothers who have helped bring this epoch-making project to fruition; it is only because of your dedication that this development has been made possible,” the Chief Minister said.
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Ramesh Singh, 65, a farmer from Bhagwatpur in Jewar said, “We are very happy and grateful to Narendra Modi for giving us the Jewar airport.”
“Humein to jaise swarg mil gaya hai (It feels like we got heaven)!” he added.
Sanjeev Yadav, a 36-year-old employee of a private firm in Faridabad, said the airport would create employment opportunities for local residents.
Satish, a taxi driver, said the new airport will increase transportation options. “When we go to Delhi airport, it takes a lot of time due to traffic jams, but here it will take only 30-40 minutes.
Nandita Gurjar, 45, a resident of Ranera, said the project would benefit the region immensely. “Now women won’t have to go out to work,” she said.
Shreshta, a student of a private college, said the airport will attract national and international companies and improve local infrastructure, facilities and job prospects.
Engineers who worked on Phase I of the project sat in the first rows of the audience. “We are excited today,” they told reporters.
Former Noida District Magistrate BN Singh, during whose tenure the project and land acquisition began, seemed elated.
“I must congratulate everyone who has been associated with this project since the beginning,” he said, recalling the efforts involved in acquiring land from farmers.
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BJP leader and Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh said the Prime Minister is expected to arrive at around 11 am and will first visit the terminal building and the cargo area of the airport.
He said Modi will then address a public rally where about two million people are expected to attend.
Singh said he remembered the massive turnout during Modi’s earlier visit for the foundation stone laying ceremony and said it would be even higher this time.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jewar Durgesh Singh said that over 1.5 lakh people are expected for the programme.
Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the airport, open a cargo terminal and lay the foundation stone for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, officials said.
The inauguration will be attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several Union and state leaders.
Touted to be one of India’s largest infrastructure projects, the airport is being developed in four phases at an estimated cost of ₹29,560 crore and received a major nod from the Center in 2018.
Officials said the Phase 1 development is standing around ₹11,282 crore, will have an initial annual passenger handling capacity of 1.2 crore. from that ₹The concessionaire invested 6,876 crores while the state government spent ₹4,406 crore for land purchase.
The cargo terminal will initially handle 2.5 million metric tons per year, expandable up to 18 million metric tons. The proposed 40-acre MRO facility is expected to boost domestic aircraft maintenance capabilities.
Once the airport becomes fully operational, Uttar Pradesh is set to become the first state in the country to have five international airports. It is also envisioned as a multi-modal transport hub integrating road, rail and metro networks, significantly improving connectivity across the National Capital Region and North India.
Authorities said the project is expected to boost economic growth, create jobs, boost exports and tourism, and make air travel more accessible.
Meanwhile, elaborate security measures have been put in place in view of the Prime Minister’s visit and the expected gathering.
Officials said the entire area has been placed under a five-layer security cover, with around 5,000 policemen deployed under the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate in coordination with the Special Protection Group.
More than 100 entry gates equipped with 200 metal detectors in the door frames have been installed, along with strict baggage screening and identity verification. Separate enclosures were arranged for women.
Security measures include anti-sabotage checks, bomb disposal units, anti-mine teams and sniffer dogs, while anti-drone systems have been activated and the area declared a no-fly zone.
Rapid response teams have been deployed at key points and monitoring is done through CCTV cameras linked to an integrated command and control centre. Intelligence agencies maintain real-time coordination, officials said.
Emergency services were put in place, including NDRF and SDRF teams, fire brigades, ambulances and designated evacuation routes. Traffic diversions and parking arrangements for thousands of vehicles have also been made to ensure smooth movement.
Officials said extensive security and logistical arrangements are in place to ensure a safe and trouble-free inauguration of the airport, which is expected to significantly boost regional connectivity and economic development.
