Noida International Airport takes off, but journey to Jewar remains unfinished business

About 70 km from the center of Delhi, the Yamuna Expressway leads to the airport, which drags a whole new landscape behind it. In the last few kilometers before the Noida International Airport in Jewar, residential towers, warehouses and commercial projects crowd around the road, signaling that a new ecosystem is forming around it.

Inside, the contrast is immediate. The terminal is spacious, organized and almost unhurried. But behind the glass, unfinished sections of land and active construction are constant reminders that the airport is still finding its feet. Two and a half months after commercial flights began on June 15, that contrast defines the experience: a smooth airport at the heart of a project that’s still catching up.

Workers are busy at the construction site of the Noida International Airport in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, National Capital Region (NCR) on Thursday (August 27, 2026). | Photo credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

For the residents of Noida and Greater Noida, the airport has significantly reduced travel time. However, for many in Delhi, taxi fares and the absence of direct public transport continue to make travel a compromise since commercial flights began operations on June 15.

Spread over 1,334 hectares in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district, the airport is currently operating in its first phase and connects about 15 cities with roughly three to 35 flights a day.

Challenging commute

Soumit Joshi, a student from Greater Noida traveling to Lucknow, found the airport geographically closer but not necessarily easier to access.

“This is the first time I am flying from Noida International Airport. Delhi airport is further for me but it is much easier and cheaper to get there,” he said.

He took an autorickshaw to the airport but was stopped at the main gate as cars are not allowed there. After waiting for about 10 minutes with his luggage, he had to take a taxi for the remaining 1-1.5 km to the terminal, adding about ₹120 to his expenses.

Rohan Sharma, a tech professional from Moti Bagh traveling to Navi Mumbai, found the price to be a bigger deterrent. His cab fare was over ₹1,700 despite traveling during off-peak hours. He estimated the fare to be around ₹3,200 for his family.

“The airport experience was very smooth, but without cheaper and reliable public transport from Delhi, I would think twice before using it again,” he said.

Khushi Tewari, a resident of Lajpat Nagar traveling to Jaipur, had a similar experience. A private car aggregator quoted ₹3,000 for a one-way trip to Jewar airport, roughly the price of her ticket. When an app-based taxi wasn’t available the morning of her flight, her father drove her.

It took about two hours to get near the airport and another 20 minutes to the terminal.

“Overall, I think I may have spent more than I would have if I had driven to Jaipur or flown from Delhi airport,” she said.

Dependence on taxis

While public transport options are expanding, the network remains sparse and selective, leaving many passengers dependent on private vehicles and taxis.

Commuters from Delhi largely depend on private vehicles, cabs or app-based taxis. Depending on the point of origin, a taxi to Jewar Airport can cost around ₹1,200 to ₹3,500.

Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) e-buses, at a charging station near Noida International Airport, at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, National Capital Region (NCR), on Thursday, August 27, 2026). | Photo credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Airport authorities said that Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation buses currently connect the airport with Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Meerut, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Farrukhabad, Firozabad, Garhmukteshwar, Hathras, Khurja, Moradabad and Shikohabad.

Haryana Roadways operates services to Faridabad and Palwal, while the Atal Seva AC electric bus connects the airport with the UPSRTC Sector 35 (Morna) bus depot and Noida city centre. Passengers can also book intercity buses through the airport’s partnership with redBus, an airport official said.

“QR codes across the terminal provide passengers with quick access to bus routes and timetables. Discussions are also underway with the Delhi Transport Corporation for direct services from key locations in Delhi, including major railway stations and ISBT. No timeline has been set yet,” the official added.

The connectivity issue goes beyond passengers. It is also reshaping where airport employees choose to live. The two employees, who used to live in south and central Delhi, said they moved to Greater Noida after joining the airport to escape the long daily commute. However, the shift came at a high personal cost.

“Traveling exhausted me, so I ended up renting a flat in Noida. I used to live with my family, but now I pay ₹25,000 for a 1 BHK. So while the daily commute has become easier, the cost has increased,” said one of the employees.

A second employee said he is now paying nearly double the rent he was paying in his previous home. “Commuting is taken care of, but my rent has gone up significantly. And now my wife has to commute a longer distance to work,” he said.

For employees in Noida and Greater Noida, the airport offers shuttle services between the two cities for all shifts with routes and timings in accordance with business hours. On-site accommodation is also available for Central Industrial Security undergraduate staff who support the airport’s round-the-clock security operations.

Closer to home

Residents of Greater Noida are already seeing the benefits of a nearby airport.

Mukul Rustagi, who travels to Hyderabad with his family, said the airport has reduced his travel time substantially.

“It takes only about 40 minutes from Greater Noida. There is no rush and the road infrastructure is excellent,” he said.

Mukul Rustagi, who travels to Hyderabad with his family, said the airport has reduced his travel time substantially. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

According to him, the journey from Greater Noida to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport could take more than two hours and stretch to over three hours in case of rains, bad weather or VIP transfers.

Mr. Rustagi believes that the airport is already changing the economic situation. His family bought the property in Greater Noida in 2018 and he said its value has more than tripled since then.

The changes are visible on the approach to Jewar. About 3 km from the airport, a 500-acre industrial estate is coming up with proposed Japanese manufacturing, clean energy, data centers and semiconductor clusters, according to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). The International Film City is about 4 km away, while industrial, logistics, residential and commercial projects are coming up in the vicinity.

The airport’s master plan envisages a much larger multimodal transport hub, possibly integrating road, metro, RRTS and high-speed rail networks, according to the airport’s master plan.

For now, Jewar has taken off. The city around is still catching up.