The Navi Mumbai International Airport marked a significant milestone on Friday with the successful trial landing of an aircraft. An Indian Air Force Airbus C295 transport plane touched down on Southern runway 26 at 12:14 pm, as confirmed by the airport operator.
The aircraft was welcomed with a water cannon salute. Developed by the Adani Group, the airport is set to commence commercial operations early next year.
The aircraft reportedly touched down on the newly completed 3,700-meter runway, marking a major milestone in the airport’s ongoing development. Meanwhile, 75% of the terminal building has been completed.
Earlier this year, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol announced that the Navi Mumbai airport is slated to begin operations in March 2025. Once completed, the airport will enhance connectivity with nearby cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Kalyan, and western Maharashtra. Mohol also noted that the airport is projected to handle an annual passenger footfall of nearly 20 million.
Covering 1,200 hectares, the cutting-edge facility will include four terminals and two runways. Once fully operational, it is projected to handle 90 million passengers annually, with parking for 350 aircraft and a cargo capacity of 2.6 million tonnes.
In its initial phases, Terminal 1 will serve 20 million passengers and manage 0.8 million tonnes of cargo.
(With ANI inputs)
