Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) — Jewar Airport marked a major milestone as its first calibration / test flight successfully took off and landed on the newly built facility on the outskirts of Greater Noida. The two-day validation exercise — closely monitored by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — cleared critical technical and safety systems and moves the airport a step closer to formal commercial operations.
Two days of rigorous calibration checks
Officials said the aviation teams conducted special test trials over two consecutive days to assess whether Jewar’s systems meet international operational standards. The DGCA team evaluated the airport’s Air Traffic Control (ATC), navigation equipment, communications systems and runway safety by running checks from different heights and directions.
“Calibration flights check every technical subsystem and the runway environment to ensure there are no remaining snags,” a senior official involved in the trials explained. The calibration flight that took place each day lasted roughly two hours, testing real-world procedures for arrivals, departures and ground handling.
DGCA oversight and the path to an aerodrome licence
Jewar Airport Limited (NIAL) Chief Executive Officer Rakesh Kumar Singh confirmed the test schedule and said that once all trials are completed successfully, the DGCA will issue an aerodrome licence. That licence is a statutory requirement for carrying out regular commercial flight operations.
“Once DGCA clears all checks and issues the aerodrome licence, Jewar will be ready to commence formal flight operations,” Singh said. Officials indicated that domestic flights will begin first, with international services to follow after several months of phased commissioning and regulatory clearances.
What the tests covered
The calibration flights examined:
1. ATC procedures and voice/data communications under operational loads
2. Precision and reliability of navigational aids at various approach angles
3. Runway lighting, surface friction and emergency preparedness
4. Coordination among ground handling, rescue & firefighting and safety response teams.
These end-to-end checks simulate real arrival and departure cycles so regulators can confirm the airport will function safely once passenger services begin.
Opening timeline and scale
Project officials estimate that, considering the pace of construction and successful testing so far, formal inauguration and phased flight operations could begin by the end of 2025. Jewar is being developed in stages; upon completion of all phases it is planned to become India’s largest airport, designed to handle very large passenger volumes and act as a major aviation hub for the National Capital Region.
