New Delhi:
The Civil Aviation Ministry has cleared a proposal for a second airport in the National Capital Region to share the growing passenger load at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, which handled 40 million passengers in 2014-15.
Reports said the new airport is likely to be built in Jewar, Greater Noida, where the government has acquired land.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said on Thursday that the proposal would be sent to the Union Cabinet soon for its approval.
He said the ministry proposes to give the GMR Group, which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport Ltd in Delhi, a first right of refusal for the project.
For the new project, the government will have to amend certain regulations, as existing rules do not allow a second airport within a 150 km radius of an existing one, unless the latter is functioning beyond its operational
capacity.
Greater Noida is about 50 km away from the Delhi Airport.