Lucknow, March 28 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the Noida International Airport on Saturday, ushering Uttar Pradesh into a new era of development. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will also be present on the occasion. Built with modern, digital and energy-efficient technologies, the airport will make Uttar Pradesh the first state in India to have five international airports once inaugurated, according to a state government statement. It will be the second major airport in the National Capital Region that will boost the country's efforts to be a global aviation hub. Among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, the Noida International Airport, located in Jewar, Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, will initially have a capacity to handle 12 million (1.2 crore) passengers per annum. "Tomorrow, 28th March is a day of immense importance for the people of Uttar Pradesh and the NCR. Phase I of Noida International Airport will be inaugurated. This will boost commerce and connectivity. It will ease congestion at the IGI Airport in Delhi," Modi said in a post on X. The project is being developed in four phases with a total estimated cost of Rs.29,560 crore, according to a state government press statement. Built with modern, digital and energy-efficient technologies, the airport will make Uttar Pradesh the first state in India to have five international airports once inaugurated. In Phase-1, Rs.6,876 crore is being invested by the concessionaire, while the Uttar Pradesh government has spent Rs.4,406 crore on land acquisition. Total cost of Phase-1 is estimated at around Rs.11,282 crore. The project was awarded in October 2020 to Zurich Airport International AG, which is developing and operating the airport through its Indian subsidiary, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), under a 40-year public-private partnership. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister's office posted on X, "New Uttar Pradesh' takes a new flight on the runway of development! The country's largest international airport - Noida International Airport is ready for inauguration." "At around 11.30am, he (PM) will undertake a walkthrough of the Terminal Building of Noida International Airport at Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar. Thereafter, at around noon, the Prime Minister will inaugurate Phase I of Noida International Airport and address a public gathering on the occasion," the government said in its statement. It is among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, the state government said. It features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER, along with modern navigation systems including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and advanced airfield lighting to support efficient, all-weather, round-the-clock operations. The airport will be equipped with advanced systems such as DigiYatra-based biometric processing, self-baggage drop facilities and digital passenger processing systems to ensure faster and smoother travel for passengers. Experts believe that once operational, the airport will help reduce air traffic pressure in the Delhi-NCR and create new opportunities for investment, tourism and employment in western UP....