Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport, near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district. Once operational, this will be UP’s fifth international airport – the most of any state.

The airport is among the promises made by the BJP government, which is eyeing a return to power in Uttar Pradesh in next year’s assembly elections. The chief minister has announced that it will be completed by 2024 — before the next General Elections are held

The airport is spread over more than 1300 hectares of land, and the completed first phase of the airport will have a capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers a year. Owing to its scale and capacity, the Noida International Airport will prove to be a game-changer for the state, the government said.