Ghaziabad/Noida, Sept. 18 -- The Noida International Airport at Jewar will be inaugurated on October 30, with commercial operations expected to begin within 45 days, initially connecting at least 10 cities, Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu announced on Wednesday. Speaking at the Yatri Sewa Diwas function at Hindon airport in Ghaziabad, Naidu said efforts were underway to push for an early start. "We are trying to push the inauguration of the Noida airport so that we can see it happen very soon. Right now the date we have decided on is October 30, and within 45 days we can see the operations. The airlines are also excited to operate from Jewar airport, and the area has huge potential. At least 10 cities will be connected in the first phase," the minister said. He added that the facility will play a strategic role in cargo operations. "We see it as more than civil aviation connectivity -- it will be a major cargo hub as well." The Jewar project, spread over 1,334 hectares, will give the National Capital Region its second full-fledged commercial airport after Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Aiport. Phase one will feature a single runway and a terminal with an annual capacity of 12 million passengers, eventually scaling to 70 million across four phases. Officials expect about six million passengers in the first year alone. Construction has now entered its final phase. The 3,900-metre runway and the ATC tower are complete, while the terminal structure is nearly finished. Aerobridges have been installed, baggage systems and e-gates are in place, and interior works -- seating, lighting, toilets, and galleries -- are nearing completion, officials aware of the developments said. htc...