34-km pipeline from Faridabad to bring aviation fuel to Noida's Jewar airport

Noida airport

A 34-km underground pipeline is set to transform fuel supply at the upcoming Noida International Airport, promising both efficiency and environmental gains as the airport prepares for its inaugural flights by the mid 2025.

According to a TOI report, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) have inked a landmark agreement to construct a dedicated aviation turbine fuel (ATF) pipeline from BPCL’s Piyala terminal in Faridabad, Haryana, directly to the airport’s tank farm in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.

Officials report that construction is 95% complete with the final segments expected to be finished well ahead of the airport’s operational debut. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh has reportedly directed all the stakeholders to complete pending works before June 30. The pipeline, which includes a 1.2 km stretch within the airport premises, is designed to deliver 1.5 million metric tonnes of jet fuel annually, with the infrastructure ready to scale up as demand grows.

The pipeline, buried a metre underground, traverses 3.6 km in Gautam Budh Nagar and the remainder in Haryana, crossing land owned by 132 farmers in Jewar’s Dayanatpur and Karoli Bangar villages. Landowners were compensated at 10% of the area’s circle rate for granting land-use permissions, while retaining full rights to cultivate above the pipeline, ensuring minimal disruption to agriculture, TOI reported.

The move is being lauded for its environmental benefits. By eliminating the need for hundreds of tanker lorry trips, the pipeline is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions and streamline fuel logistics. Sukhmal Jain, Director (Marketing) at BPCL, emphasised BPCL’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions by minimising the road transportation of fuel and fostering a more sustainable future, the Financial Express reported.

Kiran Jain, Chief Operating Officer at Noida International Airport, echoed the sentiment saying that the collaboration resonates with their strategic goal of providing cost-effective and sustainable solutions for liquid fuel transportation compared to road transport.

The pipeline, operating on a common/contract carrier basis, will ensure uninterrupted fuel supply for what is projected to become one of Asia’s largest airports, eventually catering to up to 70 million passengers annually.