From planning to safety, women take on key roles at upcoming Noida airport

Women professionals are playing a key role in the development and operational planning of the upcoming Noida International Airport, contributing across leadership, technical and aviation safety functions as the Greenfield project prepares to begin passenger operations.

The airport, which recently received its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is expected to begin passenger services within the next one-and-a-half to two months, officials said.

Spread across more than 1,300 hectares in its first phase, it has been developed with a single runway and terminal building capable of handling around 12 million passengers annually.

Airport authorities noted that the project has enabled the organisation to build a diverse workforce from the ground up, ensuring that women participate not only in leadership roles but also in technical, safety and operational functions critical to running a modern international airport.

“From leadership positions to frontline operational teams, women today contribute across a wide spectrum of airport functions including operations planning, architecture and design, finance, digital systems, regulatory functions and commercial operations,” an official associated with the project said.

The airport’s leadership structure includes several senior positions held by women, reflecting an effort to integrate gender diversity into the project’s organisational framework from its early stages.

Chief Operating Officer Kiran Jain, who leads airport operations, brings more than three decades of experience in aviation and hospitality across India and the United States.

She has been closely involved in planning operational systems, coordinating airline partnerships and preparing the airport for live operations.

Financial strategy and governance are overseen by Chief Financial Officer Nitu Samra, who has more than 25 years of experience across financial services and asset management. Her role includes overseeing financial planning, regulatory coordination and long-term financial management for the airport.

Head Human Resources (HR) Mili Saxena, who handles HR strategy and workforce, has been involved in shaping recruitment processes, talent development and diversity initiatives as the airport builds its operational workforce ahead of launch.

Women also hold key positions across other functional areas such as regulatory coordination, facilities management, aviation safety, aero-commercial operations, infrastructure readiness and digital systems management, officials said.

“Women hold several critical leadership positions at the airport, including roles such as COO, CFO and Head HR, reflecting how women are helping shape both strategic decisions and operational readiness,” the official said.

They are also engaged in core technical and operational verticals essential to airport functioning. Currently, around 45 women are working across areas such as architecture and terminal design, airside compliance, operational command functions, regulatory oversight and digital systems management.

Women professionals are managing responsibilities including Lead Airport Operations Control Centre (APOC), lead flight operations, senior architect, lead compliance and audit, lead airside compliance and IT service desk management.

Given the nature of airport functioning, many of these roles operate in shift-based environments, where teams work extended hours to ensure systems monitoring, operational readiness and coordination ahead of the airport’s launch.

Women are also part of the airport’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit, which is responsible for emergency response and aviation safety, officials said.

Five women serve in the ARFF team presently and undergo the same specialised training and preparedness protocols required for aviation emergency response.

Additionally, women are involved in internal security functions supporting surveillance, access control and operational coordination within the airport ecosystem.

Authorities said once airport operations begin, personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will take charge of airport security.

Women also played a notable role during the airport’s construction phase, particularly in engineering and safety functions.

Officials said female professionals accounted for 16 out of 30 engineering staff associated with key project activities, while six women were part of the environment, health and safety (EHS) teams.

Their participation highlights the increasing involvement of women in infrastructure development and construction management, sectors that have traditionally had lower female representation.

Airport authorities said several organisational measures have also been introduced to support employees working in a 24x7 operational environment. These include secure transport arrangements, clearly defined shift protocols, provisions for creche facilities for working parents and formal grievance redressal mechanisms, officials added.

The aim is to build a workplace culture based on equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion, officials added.

“As a Greenfield project, the airport has had the opportunity to build an inclusive workforce from the outset, where women are represented across leadership, operational and technical roles,” an official said.