The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved renaming the international airport being built at Jewar as Narendra Modi International Airport, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announcing the decision after a cabinet meeting chaired by him on Friday. The move has triggered political criticism over whether the airport’s operational and construction challenges are being addressed alongside its branding.
The approval was reported by Navbharat Times – Noida, which said Adityanath disclosed the cabinet decision to the media after the meeting. The report does not provide the text of the cabinet resolution, the formal notification or details of when the renamed airport will begin using the new designation in official documents, signage and aviation records.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ criticised the proposed renaming and said changing the airport’s name would not alter conditions on the ground. She questioned the project’s construction cost, the drainage arrangements at the site and the employment benefits reaching local young people.
Mishra said the airport was being built at an estimated cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore. She also claimed that parts of the airport complex had become waterlogged during recent rainfall. The report attributes these statements to Mishra and does not include an official response from the airport operator, the state government or the agency responsible for drainage and flood management at the site.
The drainage issue is significant for a large airport project because water management affects access roads, terminal operations, construction areas and the reliability of surrounding urban infrastructure. However, the supplied report does not specify the location, duration or extent of the alleged waterlogging, nor does it identify any disruption to airport operations.
Mishra also asked the Bharatiya Janata Party government to disclose how many people from Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere had received employment through the airport’s construction. The report does not provide an official employment figure, a local hiring target or details of the jobs created during the project’s development.
Jewar airport is being developed in Noida’s Jewar area as an international aviation project, making its public impact extend beyond the airport boundary. Its wider relevance will depend not only on the name approved by the cabinet but also on the completion of construction, the performance of drainage and access infrastructure, and the employment and economic links created for nearby communities.
The cabinet’s decision now requires formal implementation through government and aviation-related records. The state government’s notification, the airport authority’s response and further details on the project’s cost, drainage arrangements and employment outcomes will determine how the renaming is incorporated into the airport’s operating framework.
