LUCKNOW: The UP government on Saturday signed a lease agreement with Noida International Airport Ltd for 1,334-hectare land for Jewar airport, which could be the fourth largest airport in the world. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said, it was the first time, land acquisition for such a mammoth project was seamless and peaceful, particularly in an area infamous for protests and violence.
The CM said, there has been an aviation boom in four years with flights operating to 71 sectors, compared to a mere 25 before his government came to power. “There are eight functional airports in the state now and work is almost complete at Kushinagar International Airport from which global operations could start anytime,” he said.
Special secretary, civil aviation, Vishak G and deputy secretary Satyaprakash Tiwari signed the agreement on behalf of the UP government while YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh and nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia signed on behalf of NIAL. The lease would be for 90 years, after which NIAL will hand over the land to Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd on a 40-year licence. A shareholder agreement was also signed between Zurich Airport International and Yamuna International Pvt Ltd and NIAL.
The CM said, the lease agreement and swift pace of work would be a milestone in the state’s development. Praising the local administration and departments involved in the airport development project, the CM said, work was progressing as per timeline despite the pandemic.
“In past four years, development in the field of civil aviation has been fast-tracked. Till 2017, there were four functional airports in UP, of which only two, Lucknow and Varanasi, had daily operations. In Gorakhpur and Agra, barely one flight was operational. Today, there are eight functional airports, where 71 sectors are being serviced in comparison to 25 before 2017,” he said.
Commending the work of the local administration for ensuring smooth land acquisition, the CM said, when discussions on the airport project kick-started, ‘mediators’ became a hurdle to development when Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Authority were being formed. “We spoke directly to farmers through the district administration. I thank the farmers of Jewar, who along with local administration, helped create a positive environment for land acquisition,” he said.
The airport will be developed on PPP mode in four phases. In 2021-22, work will start on the first phase. This will be completed in three years and once ready, it will cater to 12 million passengers a year. By 2040-50, it will be increased to 70 million passengers per year. By then it will also be handing 2.6 million tons of cargo annually.
