Noida Airport appoints new interim CEO amid security clearance issue

Noida International Airport reshuffles leadership after BCAS rules required its CEO to be an Indian national, impacting operational readiness

Nitu Samra on Friday was appointed as the interim chief executive officer (CEO) of Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) -- which operates the Noida International Airport -- after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) directed that the CEO of an airport operator in India must be an Indian national. 

Samra has been serving as the chief financial officer (CFO) since October 2021. 

Christoph Schnellmann, the Swiss national who had been the CEO of YIAPL since August 2020, will transition to the role of executive vice chairman on the board of the company. 

YIAPL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, won the bid for the development, construction and operation of the greenfield project in 2019.  

 

In a statement issued on Friday, the airport operator said, “This change follows directions issued by the BCAS that the CEO of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national.” 

Samra will lead the airport "on an interim basis" until a formal selection process is completed by the board, it added. The airport said Schnellmann will “continue to support the project and its transition to operations” in the new position. 

Daniel Bircher, chairman of YIAPL, said that this management change brought the airport into compliance with BCAS requirements while maintaining "continuity" in the airport’s leadership team, adding that the “newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations”. 

The leadership change follows the Centre’s decision to deny security clearance to Schnellmann, a development that came to light around April 21-22. The decision by BCAS effectively prevented him from continuing in a role that requires oversight of sensitive security protocols and coordination with intelligence agencies. 

The denial is linked to regulatory provisions that require the head of a greenfield airport to be an Indian citizen. Schnellmann, a Swiss national, was found to be non-compliant with these norms, which stem from long-standing aviation security rules, including a 2011 order that treats the airport CEO as a designated security coordinator. 

This has had implications for the airport’s operational readiness, as security clearance is required to finalise the mandatory Aerodrome Security Programme before the start of commercial operations. The issue had surfaced earlier as well, with concerns over the CEO’s nationality being raised during regulatory reviews in 2023, including through a show-cause notice to the operator.

The matter escalated into a major hurdle just weeks after the airport’s inauguration on March 28, potentially affecting timelines for the start of operations, even as the airport said it remains focused on enabling operations at the earliest.