Swiss President Guy Parmelin Visits Jewar, Reviews Noida Airport Expansion Plans
Swiss President Guy Parmelin visited Noida International Airport in Jewar with a business delegation, reviewing its development, sustainability plans, passenger facilities and long-term expansion strategy.
- Noida International Airport is planned to eventually handle more than 70 million passengers annually.
- Parmelin toured key airport facilities, including the terminal, ATC tower and airside areas.
- The visit highlighted potential India-Switzerland cooperation in aviation, technology and investment.
Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin visited Noida International Airport in Jewar on Tuesday during his three-day India visit, accompanied by a delegation of nearly 65 people, including around 40 business representatives. During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the airport’s construction progress, sustainability measures, passenger facilities and future expansion plans.
The visit comes as the greenfield airport in Jewar moves toward becoming a major aviation and economic infrastructure project for Uttar Pradesh and the wider Delhi-NCR region. According to the airport’s master plan, Noida International Airport is expected to eventually have the capacity to handle more than 70 million passengers annually as development progresses during the concession period.
Parmelin, his wife and selected officials inspected several operational areas of the airport, including the airside facilities and Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower. Other members of the Swiss delegation visited the passenger terminal, security areas, boarding gates, aircraft apron and baggage reclaim facilities.
The delegation also attended a detailed presentation covering the airport’s development and long-term plans. The airport is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Switzerland-based Zurich Airport International AG.
The project is being developed under a public-private partnership involving the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Union government. YIAPL is responsible for the development, construction and operation of the greenfield airport.
Christoph Schnellmann, Vice-Chairman of Noida International Airport, said the visit provided an opportunity to brief the Swiss delegation on the progress of the project and the approach being followed for its future operations.
He said the airport’s development remains focused on safety, operational efficiency and passenger experience, with the facility expected to serve Delhi-NCR as well as Uttar Pradesh.
The Swiss President was accompanied by Swiss Ambassador to India Maya Tissafi, members of the Swiss National Council, state secretaries and representatives from the business community. His wider India visit has focused on areas such as trade, investment, education, research and innovation.
The Jewar visit is significant because Zurich Airport International AG, through YIAPL, is directly involved in the Noida airport project. The presence of a large Swiss business delegation also brought attention to the broader economic relationship between India and Switzerland.
The Uttar Pradesh government indicated that the visit could create opportunities for cooperation in sectors including information technology, electronics, technology and aviation. However, no specific investment agreement, project announcement or financial commitment involving the Swiss delegation was announced during the airport visit.
Parmelin was received at the airport by Uttar Pradesh IT and Electronics Minister Sunil Sharma, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary for Civil Aviation Deepak Kumar, and Invest UP CEO Vijay Kiran Anand.
Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam, Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority CEO Rakesh Kumar Singh were also present during the visit.
The Swiss delegation completed its scheduled programme and left the airport at around 2 pm.
The airport’s long-term development will focus on expanding capacity, strengthening passenger infrastructure and supporting the wider economic ecosystem around Jewar and the Yamuna Expressway region. With a planned eventual capacity of more than 70 million passengers annually, the project is expected to remain an important part of Uttar Pradesh’s aviation and infrastructure strategy.
The visit also places attention on the international partnerships behind the airport and could support future collaboration between Swiss companies and Uttar Pradesh in aviation, technology, infrastructure and other emerging sectors.
