India opens new international airport

People in India are celebrating the opening of a new international airport built near the capital New Delhi that is expected to become one of the country's largest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the opening ceremony for Noida International Airport. He said India is growing despite the crisis in the Middle East.

He also said, "From here, aircraft will fly all over the world, and simultaneously, this will become a symbol of the region's development."

Phase one of the airport's construction was completed on Saturday, with an investment of more than 1 billion dollars from the government.

There are still three more phases of construction. Upon completion, the airport will have five runways, a cargo terminal and an aircraft maintenance facility. It is projected to be able to serve 70 million people a year.

Noida Airport is part of India's efforts to become a global hub for air travel. It is expected to create many jobs and boost economic growth.

Passenger flights are scheduled to start around May.

nhk