Noida International Airport (DXN) at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh was inaugurated on March 28, 2026, becoming North India’s second major international airport after Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (DEL). The airport is positioned to relieve growing pressure on DEL — which has handled record passenger volumes since 2024 — and to serve the rapidly expanding NCR (National Capital Region) population east of Delhi.
For travelers transiting through India’s busiest air corridor, DXN adds a meaningful new option. For smokers, it raises the same question that NMI’s December 2025 launch did: where can you smoke at this brand-new major airport?
DXN’s Position in India’s Airport Network
DXN is the second-largest airport project in Indian aviation history (after Delhi T3’s expansion). It is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International, under a public-private partnership with the Uttar Pradesh government.
Phase 1, inaugurated this March, includes a single runway and a domestic terminal. International operations are scheduled to expand progressively over the coming years, with the master plan envisioning multiple terminals and runways once fully built out — making DXN one of the largest airports in Asia by total capacity.
What We Know About Smoking Facilities
As is typical for new Indian airports, DXN is expected to follow the COTPA 2003 framework, which permits airports to provide enclosed, ventilated indoor smoking rooms. Indications from the inauguration period suggest:
- Indoor smoking rooms are part of the terminal design — DXN’s operator confirmed COTPA-compliant facilities in the planning documents.
- Exact room locations are still being finalized as the airport scales operations from initial domestic flights.
- Outdoor zones at curbside arrivals and departures, consistent with the broader Indian airport pattern.
Until traveler reports confirm specific gate numbers and floor locations, the most reliable approach is to ask airline ground staff or the airport information desk on arrival. Do not ask CISF for directions — they are armed airport security with other duties.
Comparison with Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai’s NMI
Delhi Indira Gandhi International (DEL) operates 10+ smoking rooms across its three terminals — the most extensive smoking infrastructure of any Indian airport. T3 (international) alone has rooms distributed throughout the departure and transit areas.
Navi Mumbai International (NMI), which began commercial flights in December 2025, similarly is expected to follow the standard Indian indoor-room pattern as it ramps up.
DXN is positioned to handle overflow from DEL — particularly low-cost carrier traffic and eventually long-haul routes that DEL T1/T2/T3 cannot absorb. For smokers, this means DXN may be a less crowded alternative for layovers between Asia and Europe via India in the medium term.
The Vape Warning
A reminder that applies at every Indian airport, including DXN: vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal in India under the 2019 Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA). Possession, sale, manufacture, and import are all banned with penalties up to one year imprisonment and ₹1 lakh fines for first offences.
Travelers — including those just transiting India on connections — should not bring vape devices or IQOS-style heat-not-burn products. Customs at DXN, as at all Indian airports, can confiscate them and levy fines.
Updates Coming
We’re verifying DXN’s smoking facilities directly through traveler photos and reports. The DXN airport page will be updated as exact indoor smoking room locations are confirmed. If you’ve recently flown through DXN, please share via the Contribute form on the airport page itself.
For broader context on Indian airport smoking policy across 65+ airports, see the India country guide.