Noida International Airport gets security nod, wait now for plan approval

GREATER NOIDA: The Noida International Airport project cleared another regulatory hurdle on Wednesday, with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) granting security clearance to the same. The in-principle approval of the master plan is the only regulatory hurdle now left to commence development work at the site, officials said.

However, the regulatory body has asked Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) to amend some parts of its master plan. And once the revised plan is vetted, BCAS will grant the final clearance, a procedural step that is expected to take 10 to 14 days, officials said.

“Once BCAS gives in-principle approval to the master plan, the board of Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) will issue a letter authorising the concessionaire to commence construction and development work,” said NIAL’s nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia. NIAL is the project proponent which will also facilitate the transfer of the 1,334 hectares of land to the subsidiary of Zurich AG to start work on the ground.

Meanwhile, YIAPL has initiated the process of shortlisting and empanelling the construction agencies after floating its requirement on its website. Several international companies are likely to participate in the bidding process. It is estimated that the development of the first phase will require up to Rs 5,730 crore.

However, in an emerging situation, the pandemic is disrupting the working of the government offices, including that of NIAL and aviation regulatory bodies in Delhi.

“We are not opening talks with officials in Lucknow over the date of the foundation stone laying ceremony as the Covid situation is going out of control,” said an official.