Noida International Airport takes off, but the journey to Jewar remains a work in progress

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Passengers at the Noida International Airport, at Jewar in the Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh on August 27. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

About 70 km from central Delhi, the Yamuna Expressway leads to an airport that is pulling an entirely new landscape in its wake. In the last few kilometres before Noida International Airport in Jewar, residential towers, warehouses and commercial projects crowd the roadside, signalling a new ecosystem taking shape around it.

Inside, the contrast is immediate. The terminal is spacious, orderly and almost unhurried. But beyond the glass, unfinished stretches 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 is still catching up.

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

For residents of Noida and Greater Noida, the airport has considerably reduced travel time. For many in Delhi, however, cab fares and the absence of direct public transport continue to make the journey a trade-off since commercial flights began operating on June 15.

The airport, spread across 1,334 hectares in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district, is currently operating its first phase, connecting around 15 cities with roughly three to 35 flights a day.

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

“This is my first time flying from Noida International Airport. Delhi airport is farther for me, but getting there is much easier and cheaper,” he said.

He took an autorickshaw to the airport but was stopped at the main gate because autos are not permitted beyond that point. After waiting for around 10 minutes with his luggage, he had to take a cab for the remaining 1-1.5 km to the terminal, adding around ₹120 to his cost.

Rohan Sharma, a technology professional from Moti Bagh travelling to Navi Mumbai, found the cost to be the bigger deterrent. His cab fare exceeded ₹1,700 despite travelling outside peak hours. For his family, he estimated that the fare would be around ₹3,200.

“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 travelling to Jaipur, had a similar experience. A private car aggregator quoted ₹3,000 for a one-way journey to Jewar airport, roughly the price of her flight ticket. When an app-based cab was unavailable on the morning of her flight, her father drove her.

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