As Noida International Airport(NIAL) gets ready to open in Jewar, around 334 families who gave up land during the first two phases of acquisition said that they were still waiting for the jobs that had been promised to them. Officials had reportedly assured them employment with the concessionaire, Yamuna International Airport Private(YIAPL), if they chose jobs over cash compensation.
Residents stated that they had been waiting since 2019 and were now being told that jobs would come through private vendors. They expressed concern that vendor roles offered lower pay, less stability, and no benefits such as provident fund, ESI, or medical cover. Several protesters near the site said that they wanted direct and stable employment with YIAPL, as had been promised during the land acquisition process.
One resident from Banwaripur village, who lost 10 acres of land, reportedly said that he had an MTech in automobile engineering and had been waiting for years. He added that a meeting with airport officials in February had promised employment, but no update had followed. Another farmer from Dayanatpur mentioned that his elder son had left a deputy general manager job in Gurgaon in 2020 to return home for a promised airport role that never materialised.
It is reported that NIAL had put in place a structured hiring system for project-affected families. The agency stated that three recruitment drives were held in late 2025, attracting over 300 candidates, and 24 offer letters had been issued. It also said that around 180 youths had registered on a new job portal and that skill training had started at ITI Jewar, where 24 of 28 trained candidates received offers from partner firms.
Officials reportedly noted that the airport’s first phase would create over 5,000 direct jobs and that all positions would carry minimum wages and statutory benefits. They added that a joint committee of NIAL, YIAPL, and district officials was supervising placements and training.
Despite this, many families claimed that the promise of priority employment was given in writing under the rehabilitation policy and that they would continue to protest until direct jobs were provided.
