The Noida International Airport (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh may have been inaugurated last month, but it may take time for commercial operations to begin as a security roadblock has delayed the process.
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28, the airport will need to appoint an Indian chief executive to start commercial flights.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has rejected the security approval of Christoph Schnellmann, the current chief executive officer of the Noida airport, according to a report by The Economic Times.
As per current aviation security norms, this is a violation of rules set for new airports. The CEO of a greenfield airport should be an Indian national.
A 2011 order by the BCAS requires that the CEO of any greenfield airport shall act as the security coordinator and be responsible for coordinating the implementation of security measures.
Zurich Airport Group, which owns the airport, will have to appoint an Indian CEO, as Schnellmann is a Swiss national.
Zurich Airport Group has developed the airport through its Indian arm, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, under a 40-year PPP (public-private partnership) with the UP government.
The Swiss company has invested about Rs 7,200 crore in the first phase of developing the airport.
It is the first time that a foreign company owns 100 percent equity in an airport in India.
The BCAS had reportedly reached out to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to amend the norms, as Schnellmann has led the development of the airport since 2020. However, the ministry declined to do so.
Security clearance broadly authorises individuals for access to sensitive roles, while BCAS vetting ensures compliance with aviation security and operational norms.
However, no such restriction is placed on the appointment of airline CEOs. IndiGo’s former CEO Peter Elbers was a Dutch national, and Air India’s outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson hails from New Zealand. IndiGo has now named Irish national William Walsh as its new CEO.
