GMR Infra, Reliance among 19 companies bidding to build Noida airport

GMR Infra, Adani, and Reliance Infra are among the 19 companies that have bid for developing the Rs 16,000-crore Noida international airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.

The state government aims to complete technical and financial bidding by February-March 2020, said Shrikant Sharma, minister and state government spokesperson, in Lucknow on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. The first runway of the green field airport, which will help in decongesting Delhi's international airport, will be ready for commercial flights by 2023.

The cabinet approved in May 2019 a proposal to float global tender for the airport apart from disbursal of Rs 895 crore towards rehabilitation and resettlement of affected private land owners.

The airport has been proposed on public private partnership (PPP) model, for while 1,426 hectares would be acquired. Of total land, nearly 1,200 hectares of private land spanning 6 villages in Gautam Buddh Nagar district would be required.

The green field airport--one build from scratch in an undeveloped sited--was first conceived in 2000 but was held up because of regulatory and clearances hurdles. It will have two runways and it will handle 70 million passengers and 3 million tonnes cargo annually when fully developed.

GMR Group