The Airport Authority of India gave a no objection certificate (NOC) to Greater Noida Authority for a heliport in the city. The permission has come as a welcome relief for the Authority, as it has been chasing the NOC for the past three years.
Deepak Agarwal, CEO of Greater Noida Authority, told City Spidey, “Now that we have got the NOC, tendering process for the heliport will start soon. The Authority has reserved an area of 15.5 hectares near Gautam Budh Nagar University, which is at the border of Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway Authority, for the construction of the heliport.”
Agarwal added that the total project expense would be about Rs 50 crore, and that they are now waiting for the last NOC from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Besides having seven helipads, from where seven choppers can take off or land simultaneously, the heliport will also have a runway for small aeroplanes. According to Agarwal, the Greater Noida Authority has plans to start regular chopper service to places of religious and historic importance, such as the Vaishno Devi shrine, Haridwar, Mathura and Agra.