GREATER NOIDA, March 6 -- The Noida International Airport has received the mandatory security clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) chief executive officer RK Singh made this announcement on Thursday. However, NIAL didn't announce the date when the airport will start operations. "The Noida International airport has received security vetting approvals from the BCAS," said Singh. NIAL further said that with the BCAS approval now in place, the aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to be issued within a week. A senior official from NIAL, the government agency overseeing the airport project, said the next step will be a final inspection by the aviation regulator. NIAL nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia said that following the BCAS clearance, the DGCA will conduct a final inspection of the airport before issuing the aerodrome licence. "The airport infrastructure, planned under the first phase, is fully ready to handle 12 million passengers annually. The terminal building, air traffic control tower and runway, as envisaged in the first phase, are ready," Bhatia said. Officials also confirmed that construction work for the first phase of the airport has now been fully completed. After the DGCA licence is issued, cargo and domestic flight operations are expected to begin within 45 days, as mandated under the project plan. International flight operations are likely to start from September this year, officials said. Meanwhile, supporting infrastructure for the airport is also in place. Officials said the road connecting the airport to the Yamuna Expressway has been completed, ensuring direct connectivity for passengers and cargo traffic. However, the date for the formal inauguration of the airport has not yet been finalised. According to officials, the launch date will be decided by the Prime Minister's Office. Once operational, the airport is expected to become a major aviation hub for the Delhi-NCR region, with multiple expansion phases planned in the coming years....