Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that the upcoming Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh could be sold to private operators once its connectivity improves, raising a political dispute over the future ownership of one of the region’s largest aviation infrastructure projects.
Speaking to reporters in Ballia on Thursday, Yadav said the airport had been built with the purpose of eventually selling it. He alleged that the Centre had already sold major and smaller airports across the country and would not spare Jewar airport. The remarks were reported by the Times of India.
Yadav did not cite a government notification, tender document or other official record to support the claim. The report also does not indicate that the Centre or the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a decision to privatise Jewar airport. His statement is therefore a political allegation about a possible future transaction, rather than confirmation of an approved sale.
The airport, officially known as Noida International Airport, is being developed at Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar district. Its connectivity is central to the project’s viability because the airport is expected to serve passengers and cargo users across the wider National Capital Region. Yadav specifically linked any possible sale to improvements in road and other transport connections to the facility.
The remarks also came amid a separate debate over the proposed renaming of the airport after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yadav said he had no objection to naming projects after people, while criticising the practice of naming projects after living political figures. The renaming issue and the alleged future sale were raised during the same interaction but are separate questions of public policy.
For passengers, airlines and businesses, the ownership structure would have implications for how the airport is operated and financed. However, the supplied report does not provide details of any proposed concession, stake sale, operating agreement, valuation or timeline. It also does not identify a government agency that has initiated such a process.
Jewar airport’s development has been presented as a major addition to the region’s aviation network, but its actual reach will depend on the supporting transport system around it. The airport’s connection to highways, public transport and surrounding urban centres will affect travel times, passenger demand and the distribution of economic activity. Those infrastructure links are also the basis of Yadav’s claim that the airport’s value could rise before any possible sale.
Yadav’s comments were made while attending the 13th-day condolence ceremony for former Uttar Pradesh leader of opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary. During the interaction, he also reiterated that the Samajwadi Party would contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly election in alliance with the Congress, while dismissing reports of difficulties over seat-sharing.
No official response from the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government or the airport’s developer regarding the privatisation allegation was included in the report. Any formal decision would require clarification on the airport’s ownership, operating model and the authorities responsible for approving a transaction.
