Noida International Airport names Nitu Samra interim CEO after BCAS blocks foreign hire
Noida International Airport names Nitu Samra interim CEO after BCAS blocks foreign hire
Nitu Samra, the airport’s CFO since 2021, becomes interim CEO after BCAS blocks a foreign national from leading Noida International Airport, with Home Ministry denying a rule tweak.
In a move tied to aviation security and regulatory rules, Noida International Airport announced Nitu Samra as interim CEO on Friday, after BCAS refused to extend the tenure of Christoph Schnellmann. The decision comes as the union home ministry denied a request to tweak rules to allow a foreign national to head a greenfield airport, underscoring the requirement that the airport chief executive be an Indian national.
Schnellmann will join the airport’s board as executive vice chairman and will continue to support the project during the transition to operations. Samra, who has been the airport’s chief financial officer since October 2021, has been closely involved in overseeing financial governance, strategic planning, and development.
Noida International Airport is developed and operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Swiss Zurich Airport International AG. The move highlights the regulatory frame that governs leadership at Indian airports and the steps being taken to align with security norms while the project advances toward operations.
With immediate effect, Samra’s interim appointment will stand until the board completes a formal selection process for a permanent CEO.
