Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the first phase of the Navi Mumbai International Airport on October 8, marking a major milestone in India’s aviation infrastructure. The Rs 19,647-crore greenfield project will commence commercial flight operations in December, a senior Maharashtra government official said on Saturday.
The airport, the second in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, received its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on September 30.
"Second airport of Maha Mumbai -- Navi Mumbai International Airport -- is going to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8," CIDCO Vice Chairman and Managing Director Vijay Singhal informed mediapersons. He added that the Prime Minister is expected to arrive at 2.40 pm, tour the terminal building, and address the audience.
Developed in multiple phases by Navi Mumbai International Airport, the project is owned 74 per cent by the Adani Group and 26 per cent by the Maharashtra government’s land development authority, CIDCO.
Singhal said the global aviation body IATA has assigned the airport the code ‘NMI’. Domestic carriers, including Air India Group, IndiGo and Akasa, have already announced plans to shift part of their flight operations to the new facility.
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Spread over 1,160 hectares, the airport will feature four terminals with a total passenger capacity of 90 million per annum and a cargo capacity of 3.25 million metric tonnes upon completion, making it one of Asia’s largest aviation hubs.
"To begin with, we have completed terminal one, having a capacity of 20 million passengers per annum, 0.8 million metric tonne of cargo capacity and one runway," Singhal said. He noted that the existing Mumbai International Airport handles around 55 million passengers annually, and together, the two airports will accommodate nearly 150 million passengers, elevating Mumbai as a global aviation hub.
The official added, "Almost Rs 19,647 crore have been spent on phase one, and once all the four terminals are completed, we would have an approximate expenditure of 1-lakh crore."
Navi Mumbai International Airport will be India’s first aerodrome connected via expressways, highways, metros, suburban rail and even water taxis. It will also feature sustainable aviation fuel storage and an Automated Passenger People Mover system linking all four terminals.
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