Three days after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) denied approval for Noida airport’s chief executive officer (CEO) Christoph Schnellmann to continue in his role, the airport management on Friday announced the appointment of Nitu Samra as its interim CEO.
“This change follows directions issued by BCAS that the chief executive officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national,” a statement issued by Noida International Airport (NIA) said.
The announcement comes three days after the Union home ministry turned down a request to tweak rules to allow a foreign national to hold the post of CEO of a greenfield airport, keeping in mind security of air operations.
The decision directly impacted Noida airport, developed and operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Swiss firm Zurich Airport International AG with Swiss national Schnellmann as its CEO.
The denial implied that the CEO of the already delayed airport would have to be replaced. Written information was sent to the airport on Tuesday night.
On December 16, 2025, HT was the first to report that the CEO of NIA being a foreign national fell afoul of aviation security norms for greenfield airports.
“With immediate effect, Nitu Samra has been appointed as CEO on an interim basis, until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process,” the airport said.
Schnellmann, who has been CEO of NIA since August 2020, will now join the airport’s board of directors as executive vice chairman.
“In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations,” the airport said.
Samra has been serving as CFO of NIAL since October 2021 and has been closely involved in the airport’s development, overseeing financial stewardship, governance, and strategic planning during a key phase of the project.
YIAPL chairman Daniel Bircher said, “After the inauguration of Noida International Airport by the hon’ble Prime Minister in March 2026, the goal was to enable the start of operations as early as possible. This management change brings the airport into compliance with BCAS requirements while maintaining continuity in the Noida airport’s leadership team.”
“The newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture,” he said.
As per the BCAS AVSEC (Aviation Security) order dated January 17, 2011: “The CEO of Indian nationality at each greenfield Indian airport and the airport director or in-charge airport management at AAI [Airports Authority of India] airports which are served by civil flights shall be the security coordinator at the respective airports and shall be responsible for coordinating the implementation of security measures in accordance with the legal provisions and instructions BCAS issued.”
While the matter was raised in 2022 and discussions to amend the rule were subsequently put forth in 2023, no conclusion could be reached.
Source: Hindustan Times
