Gautam Buddha Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the Noida International Airport will develop the tourism and agriculture sector in Uttar Pradesh and pilgrims will be able to easily travel to temples and shrines in the state.

Speaking on the occasion of the foundation laying stone ceremony of Noida International Airport here, PM Modi said, "Tourism of land-locked states like Uttar Pradesh will greatly benefit from the Noida International Airport. Now, pilgrims will be able to easily travel to temples and shrines in Uttar Pradesh.""The agricultural potential of Western UP will witness a sharp rise and help the small farmers in exporting goods easily, efficiently and instantly," he said.

PM Modi further said that Uttar Pradesh will now be known for its 'Uttam Suvidha and Nirantar Nivesh'.

PM Modi today laid the foundation stone for Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia at the project site.

The airport is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of the project's Swiss concessionaire Zurich International Airport AG.

Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL) is developing Noida International Airport under the PPP model in close partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of India.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the International Airport near Jewar will be developed as an Aviation Hub which is conceived to provide all the modern, efficient and hi-tech facilities. The airport area when fully operational is expected to have Aero and Non-Aero activities along with MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) facilities.

The present project envisages an area of land requirement measuring 3500 acres. In the first phase of development, only 1327 hectares of land would be developed.

Noida International Airport is strategically located, which is at a road distance of about 72 km from IGI Airport, 40 km from Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad respectively, 28 km from Greater Noida, 65 km from Gurugram and 130 km from Agra.

The projected cost of the proposed project is estimated at around Rs 15000- 20000 crore and the development of the first phase of the airport is being done at a cost of around Rs 10,050 crore.

The work at the airport is scheduled to be completed by 2024. (ANI)