Swiss President Guy Parmelin visits Noida International Airport, calls it a "Swiss touch in India"

Parmelin, who was accompanied by Switzerland's Ambassador to India Maya Tissafi, Uttar Pradesh Minister for Electronics and IT Sunil Kumar Sharma and a high-level delegation of government officials and business leaders, toured key facilities at the airport on Tuesday, including the passenger terminal, ATC and airside infrastructure.

The visit to the airport comes as part of his official visit to India from October 5 to 7.

Describing the airport as a "Swiss touch in India", Parmelin highlighted its connection with Switzerland's Flughafen Zrich, whose subsidiary operates the airport.

"A Swiss touch in India : Noidas new airport is operated by a subsidiary of Flughafen Zrich, the company behind Zurich Airport," Parmelin said in a post on X following his visit.

During the visit, Parmelin and the delegation were received by the leadership teams of Noida International Airport and Zurich Airport International AG. They were briefed on the airport's development journey, sustainability initiatives, passenger experience philosophy and future growth plans.

The delegation also toured key airport facilities, including the passenger terminal, air traffic control (ATC) and key airside infrastructure, gaining first-hand insight into the airport's design, technology and operational capabilities.

"I had the chance to visit it as it began operations this June, in the presence of Minister Shri Sunil Kumar Sharma," Parmelin said in his post.

In the long term, the airport is expected to handle up to 70 million passengers a year, according to Parmelin.

The visit also highlighted the Uttar Pradesh government's continued focus on attracting investment and its support for infrastructure-led growth in the region. It provided an opportunity to showcase NIA's approach towards delivering a modern, seamless and efficient travel experience while supporting regional economic growth and connectivity.

Christoph Schnellmann, Vice Chairman, Noida International Airport, said it was a privilege to welcome Parmelin and the accompanying delegation, adding that the visit provided an opportunity to present the progress made across the airport and the approach guiding its development and future operations.

"Drawing on Zurich Airports International experience, we remain focused on providing a safe, efficient and passenger-centric airport that will serve Delhi NCR and Uttar Pradesh for the long term," Schnellmann said. (ANI)