Noida Airport Opening Day Marked by Navigation Confusion for Passengers

NOIDA: For many passengers headed to Noida airport on the first day of commercial operations, the journey began not just with excitement but confusion as well.

Guided by Google Maps, several travellers were led to the airport’s cargo-side approach near Kishorpur village, only to be stopped by security personnel and told they were at the wrong entry point. What followed was a frustrating detour that cost them extra fuel, additional toll charges and, for some, precious time before departure.

With navigation platforms not reflecting the airport’s newly opened passenger route, commuters travelling from Yamuna Expressway were directed towards the older Jewar toll plaza-Sikandrabad road, which leads to the cargo-side approach.

Several travellers, including TOI reporters, followed the route shown on Google Maps and reached the airport from the village side. Security staff deployed there told them passenger vehicles were not permitted through that gate and directed them to return to Yamuna Expressway and use the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway link road instead.

The diversion significantly lengthened the journey. Travellers had to re-enter Yamuna Expressway, pay toll at Jewar plaza again and drive back nearly 10km towards Noida before taking an underpass and covering another 10km to reach the correct access road leading to the terminal.

The issue surfaced on the day the airport opened commercial operations, catching many first-time users off guard. While the terminal itself functioned smoothly, reaching it proved challenging for those relying entirely on digital navigation.

The passenger route forms part of a 31km link road being developed by NHAI to connect the airport with the Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Sohna stretch of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. A 7km section in Noida has already been completed and opened, providing direct access to the airport through a loop connected to Yamuna Expressway.

The new route allows travellers from Noida and Delhi to reach the airport without crossing a toll gate. However, passengers coming from Agra, Mathura, Aligarh and even Jewar still need to pass through the toll plaza to access the facility.

Told about the detours, NIA vice-chairperson Christoph Schnellmann said the airport operator was in discussions with Google to ensure the new access route is reflected on Maps and made available to commuters at the earliest.