Noida International Airport Ltd has appointed Nitu Samra as interim CEO with immediate effect, replacing Christoph Schnellmann who had led the project since August 2020. According to the latest announcement, Samra, who has been serving as the airport's chief financial officer since October 2021, will hold the interim position until the board of directors concludes a formal selection process. The change follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national. As reported by HT, the BCAS notified the airport about this decision on Tuesday night, with the legal basis for the requirement being a BCAS AVSEC order dated January 17, 2011. The government had declined to tweak this rule three days prior to Samra's appointment, after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refused to authorise a change in the regulation.
As reported by HT, a CEO of an airport also serves as its designated security coordinator, a role involving access to sensitive infrastructure and security-related data, necessitating Indian citizenship. The legal basis for this requirement stems from a BCAS AVSEC order dated January 17, 2011, which mandates that greenfield airport CEOs must be Indian nationals. Efforts to amend this rule date back to 2022, when the issue first came to light. Schnellmann will transition to the role of executive vice-chairman and remain on the board of Yamuna International Airport Pvt. Ltd, the project developer and wholly owned unit of Zurich Airport International AG. Zurich Airport will continue managing the airport operations, with Schnellmann continuing to support the project and its transition to operations in his new capacity.
Located in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, approximately 100km from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, the airport is being developed as a major aviation hub for the National Capital Region. According to Mint, the first phase is designed to handle 12 million passengers annually, with plans for further expansion. The airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2026, is yet to commence services with final approvals still awaited from multiple agencies. Commercial operations are expected around mid-May. As reported by The Hindu, the airport aims to begin services at the earliest, positioning itself as a key aviation hub for the Delhi-NCR region and western Uttar Pradesh. NIA is being developed as a world-class airport combining Swiss operational efficiency with Indian hospitality, and is expected to play a significant role in regional connectivity and economic growth.
G.S. Bawa, secretary general of the Air Travellers Association, questioned the timing of the leadership change, stating that appointing an Indian CEO could have been done long ago. As reported by Mint, he asked why the issue was raised only before commercial operations start, suggesting the interim nature of the appointment indicates the issue could have been handled more smoothly. Daniel Bircher, Chairman of Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), emphasized the goal of enabling operations as early as possible. He stated that "this management change brings the airport into compliance with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security requirements while maintaining continuity in the airport's leadership team." The newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture. The formal search for a permanent CEO is currently underway, with the company emphasizing the management change brings the airport into compliance with security norms while maintaining leadership continuity.
