Jewar Airport: 10 things to know about the airport which may become Asia's largest

Land acquisition for the second phase of the upcoming Jewar airport is set to start. With this, Delhi NCR has come a step closer to getting another airport. Here are some interesting facts about the upcoming airport.
1. The proposal for an airport in Jewar was first mooted in 2001 by home minister Rajnath Singh, then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. His successor Mayawati also backed the plan and acquired more than 2,000 acres for the proposed airport. The UPA government at the Centre then formed a group of ministers to decide on the issue, as it violated a policy to build no other airport within 150 km of the existing one in Delhi.

2. The need for Jewar airport was felt as Delhi airport is expected to achieve 100 million capacity between 2021 and 2023, reaching saturation point.

3. It will be the third airport in Delhi NCR after Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and Ghaziabad's Hindon airport.

3. According to officials, the first phase of the airport will cost Rs 4,588 crore and is expected to be completed by 2023.

4. The airport is slated to be spread over a total of 5,000 hectares, of which 1,334 hectares have already been acquired

5. When fully built, the airport is likely to have six to eight runways, the most in India.

6. Swiss firm Zurich Airport International AG had in November 2019 emerged as the highest bidder for the Jewar airport project, outbidding competitors like Adani Enterprises, DIAL and Anchorage Infrastructure Investments Holding.

7. The Noida International Airport is estimated to cost around Rs 30,000 crore.

8. Once completed, the Jewar airport will be Asia's largest, according to a statement by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

9. From location point of view, the airport has some obvious advantages as it will be just 130 km away from Agra and about 72 km from Delhi, 28 kms from Greater Noida and about 40 kms from Noida.
10. Metro connectivity between IGI and Jewar airports is also beeing mooted.