Noida: Noida International Airport in Jewar witnessed temporary waterlogging on Tuesday after extremely heavy rainfall in a short period, with videos of rainwater accumulating near the terminal and parking area circulating widely on social media.
The incident triggered a political controversy, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging that the waterlogging exposed “corruption and shoddy construction” at the recently inaugurated airport.
Airport says water cleared in 30 minutes
Noida International Airport said the water entered the passage connecting the terminal with the parking area following extremely heavy rainfall.
In a statement issued on August 11, the airport said its teams responded promptly and cleared the water in less than 30 minutes.
Traffic was temporarily diverted through an alternate route, while passengers continued to have access to direct kerbside pick-up facilities.
The airport said there was minimal impact on operations and that no flights were disrupted.
AAP questions construction quality
The AAP used the incident to target the Centre, pointing to the airport’s construction cost and recent inauguration.
In a post on X, the party alleged that the incident during the first major rainfall exposed shortcomings in the airport’s construction and drainage arrangements.
The allegations come as videos showing accumulated rainwater in the terminal-parking passage sparked questions online about the facility’s drainage infrastructure.
The airport, however, said the affected area was limited to the passage between the terminal and parking facilities and that the situation was brought under control quickly.
Airport to examine incident
The airport management said it is examining what happened and will undertake corrective measures wherever necessary.
The temporary waterlogging did not affect flight operations, according to the airport, but the incident has raised fresh questions about how the newly operational facility will handle periods of intense rainfall.
Airport began commercial operations in June
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase 1 of Noida International Airport on March 28, 2026. Commercial passenger operations began on June 15, with IndiGo operating the first scheduled flights from the facility.
Phase 1 was developed at an investment of approximately ₹11,200 crore. The airport had received its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in March after meeting requirements covering infrastructure, safety systems, navigation aids, operational procedures and emergency response.
While the airport has maintained that operations were unaffected by Tuesday’s incident, the episode has provided fresh political ammunition to the Opposition and renewed scrutiny of infrastructure and drainage arrangements at the facility.