Good Air Day: Calibration flight Lands at Noida International Airport

Noida, October 31, 2025: The upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar near Greater Noida has marked a significant step towards operationalisation with the successful landing of a calibration flight. A calibration flight is a mandatory test for airports and aviation equipment to ensure the accuracy and reliability of air navigation and communication systems, such as the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and radar. Specially equipped aircraft fly specific patterns to test ground-based navigation aids, confirming they meet international safety standards before an airport is cleared for operations. These flights are critical for certifying that navigational systems are working correctly and can guide aircraft safely.

Key aspects of a calibration flight

• Purpose: To test and certify the accuracy of ground-based navigation and communication aids to ensure they comply with international standards set by organizations like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• Process: Involves a pre-calibration briefing, flight inspection, and data analysis. Aircraft fly at varying altitudes and angles to record data from each system.
• Equipment: Involves specially equipped aircraft, often with highly sensitive instruments, that are flown by two pilots and a flight inspector.
• Data: The data collected is analyzed to measure signal strength, consistency, and accuracy, and to make necessary adjustments.
• Importance: Calibration flights are a mandatory safety requirement for new airports and are a key step in the certification and opening of an airport to air traffic.

The first phase of the greenfield Noida International Airport is expected to be inaugurated soon. That date remains unannounced.

The first phase of the airport will cover over 1,300 hectares of land and will have one runway and one terminal building with a passenger capacity of 12 million per year. The project is to be completed in four phases; the complete airport will boast of five runways and a passenger capacity of 300 million annually.

The airport is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, for the state government in a public-private partnership model.