Noida International Airport Appoints Nitu Samra as Interim CEO After Foreign CEO Denied Security Clearance
BCAS rejected Christoph Schnellmann's security clearance due to non-Indian nationality, prompting urgent leadership change to enable flight operations
L'essentiel
- Noida International Airport has appointed Nitu Samra as interim CEO after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) denied security clearance to Christoph Schnellmann because he is not an Indian national.
- Samra, previously chief financial officer, will serve until the board finalizes a new chief executive.
- The airport received its aerodrome license from DGCA in March but still needs BCAS approval for its security programme.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Noida International Airport is being developed as a major greenfield airport in the NCR region to decongest Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. It is the first Indian airport with 100% foreign ownership, operated by Zurich Airport under a 40-year concession won in 2019.
New Delhi: Noida International Airport has appointed Nitu Samra as interim chief executive officer in an urgent stop-gap measure to start flight operations after Christoph Schnellmann was denied security clearance. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) rejected the security clearance of Schnellmann as CEO as he is not an Indian national, as ET reported on Wednesday.
Samra, who has been serving as chief financial officer of the airport, will serve as interim CEO until the company board finalises a new chief executive, the airport said in a statement on Friday. Schnellmann, who has led the airport as CEO since August 2020, will join its board of directors as executive vice chairman.
While the airport received its aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in March, its aerodrome security programme (ASP) has yet to be approved by BCAS. A 2011 order by the aviation security regulator mandates that the CEO of any greenfield Indian airport shall be its security coordinator, responsible for coordinating the implementation of security measures.
"This management change brings the airport into compliance with security requirements while maintaining continuity in the airport's leadership team," said Daniel Bircher, chairman of Zurich airport-owned Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd, which is the holding company of the airport. "The goal was to enable the start of operations as early as possible."
Zurich airport won the bid to build and operate the Noida airport for 40 years in 2019. The company has invested around Rs 7,200 crore in the first phase. The Noida airport is the first instance of a foreign investor owning 100% equity of an Indian airport.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
BCAS will approve the aerodrome security programme within 2-3 months
Probable · En quelques mois
Commercial operations will begin by end of 2026
Possible · En quelques mois
Questions ouvertes
- When will BCAS approve the aerodrome security programme?
- Who will be the permanent CEO candidate?
- When will commercial flight operations officially begin?
