Noida Airport To Have 8-Acre Forest With Local Species, 133-Hectare Green Area

Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions, the Noida International Airport will feature an eight-acre forest and 133 hectares of dedicated green space. The under-development site has already witnessed the transplantation of 580 trees, including pipal and banyan. The greenfield airport being built in the Jewar area of the Gautam Buddh Nagar district in western Uttar Pradesh is set to become India's largest airport upon completion. Located approximately 75 km from Delhi, this will be the second international airport in the National Capital Region (NCR). Officials expect the airport to begin operations by the end of this year.

A Green Project

The airport is a public-private partnership project and is spread over 5,000 hectares of land to be developed in four phases. The first phase, covering 1,300 hectares, is close to completion. The CEO of Noida International Airport, Christoph Schnellmann, aspires for the facility to become India's leading greenfield airport with a net zero emission philosophy. The airport aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions and set new standards for sustainable airport operations. "Sustainability and environmental impact were some of the key criteria based on which we selected the airport's planning and design teams, construction partners, and concessionaires," Schnellmann told PTI.

"A specific area has been earmarked within the airport land to preserve local species in an eight-acre forest reserve. As part of our commitment to preserve the plant species around the airport, we have transplanted over 580 trees at the construction site," Schnellmann said. "Species like neem, ber, mango, shahtoot, shisham, jand, lasora, pipal, banyan, jamun, amrood, karanj, goolar and arjun trees have been transplanted. The transplantation process is being carried out on the scientific principles of 'pruning, root ball preparation, tree shifting and planting' ensuring no net loss of biodiversity," he added.

During the transplantation process, organic manure is being used to create over 133 hectares of green area within the airport premises, which will help neutralise carbon emissions, according to Schnellmann. Noida International Airport is planning various other environment-friendly initiatives, including the use of renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, an onsite waste management facility, a sewage treatment plant, and electric ground support equipment. "Additionally, our EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor has also leveraged breakthrough technology from Nanogence Catalyst, which is a patented smart activator that enhances the binding efficiency of cementitious material, providing high material performance while reducing carbon emissions," the airport's CEO said.

Lower Costs

In 2023, it was reported that the airport is set to provide significant cost savings for air travellers, offering up to INR 1,500 in ticket price reductions compared to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI). According to reports, this cost advantage primarily stems from the difference in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) weight charges. Uttar Pradesh levies a modest 1 percent tax, whereas Delhi imposes a hefty 25 percent tax. This translates to potential savings of 10 to 15 percent on your airfare when opting for Noida International Airport, meaning that a flight ticket from Delhi to Lucknow, initially costing INR 3,500, can be obtained for approximately INR 2,800 when using Noida International Airport.

(With inputs from PTI)