Will fully built Noida International Airport surpass Delhi IGI’s flight handling capacity?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar on Saturday. Once fully completed, the airport is expected to become India’s largest, with both domestic and international flight operations. Noida international airport was inaugurated by PM Modi on March 28.

The Noida airport project has faced multiple delays since it was announced. It was initially slated for inauguration in September 2024, but the timeline was pushed back twice before the eventual launch on March 28, 2026.

Commercial flight operations at the airport are expected to begin between mid-April and May 2026, according to reports, while international flights are likely to start from September 2026 onwards.

Bookings for international flights from Noida airport will open around 90 days before the airport starts operations, while domestic tickets will be available about six weeks ahead.

Can Noida Airport surpass Delhi’s IGI capacity of handling fight operations? There is no confirmed figure yet on the number of flights or initial destinations in the first phase of Noida airport. However, officials have stated that the airport will have the capacity to handle up to 225 million (22.5 crore) passengers annually once fully operational.

In comparison, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is currently the country’s busiest airport, has four runways and handles over 1,500 flight movements daily. Notably, Delhi’s aviation traffic reached a record high on February 20 this year, when IGI managed around 1,550 aircraft movements in a single day, driven by a surge in departures ahead of the conclusion of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The summit, held from February 16 to 20, 2026, saw participation from over 50,000 delegates and was billed as the world’s largest AI event. General aviation activity also saw a sharp rise, with 94 private and charter aircraft operating that day, nearly three times the usual daily average of 30–35 movements.

Passenger traffic was similarly high, with approximately 2.5 lakh travellers scheduled, bringing the airport close to its peak passenger handling capacity.

As per officials, the fully built Noida airport will be able to handle up to 22.5 crore passengers annually, which translates to an average of around 6 lakh passengers per day at full capacity. However, these figures are theoretical, and actual daily numbers will vary depending on demand, flight schedules, and the phased expansion of the airport. On the other hand, IGI handles around 7.9 crore passengers a year, as per figures given on Delhi International Airport Limited website. It reportedly has the capacity to handle over 10.5 crore passengers annually.

While the fully built Noida airport is projected to have a significantly higher passenger capacity, surpassing IGI, will take considerable time.

Delhi IGI remains a well-established aviation hub with extensive connectivity, high flight frequency, and mature infrastructure. In contrast, Noida airport will scale up gradually in phases, adding routes, airlines, and passenger volumes over the years. As a result, despite its ambitious long-term capacity, it may take a substantial period before Noida can match or exceed Delhi’s operational dominance.