Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate phase one of the Navi Mumbai International Airport on October 8 at 2:40 pm. The commercial operations at the airport will begin in December this year. The launch of this airport is special, not because it is the second international airport in Mumbai, but also because it is twice the size of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Navi Mumbai International Airport Inauguration: Cost, Capacity, key features and facilities
Capacity: CIDCO Vice Chairman and Managing Director Vijay Singhal has said that the airport is spread over 1,160 hectares and is being developed in four phases under a public-private partnership, with CIDCO holding a 26% stake and NMIAL 74%.
The first terminal has been completed with an annual passenger handling capacity of 20 million. Once it becomes fully operational, the Navi Mumbai International Airport will be capable of handling up to 90 million passengers every year, along with 3.5 million tonnes of cargo.
Cost: The first phase of the Navi Mumbai International Airport is estimated to cost Rs 19,646 crore. Its runway is built to handle all kinds of aircraft.
Facilities:
1. One of the airport’s key features is an Automated People Mover system that will link all terminals through underground tunnels. This will let passengers check in at any terminal, with their luggage automatically sent to the right one.
2. The airport will be well-connected through multiple transport modes — road, rail, and waterways.
3. Water taxis will operate from Targhar nearby, and road access will improve further with the Atal Setu bridge.
4. A new “Gold Line” metro is also planned to directly connect Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport with the Navi Mumbai airport.
Development of Navi Mumbai International Airport in phases
The airport got its aerodrome licence from the aviation safety regulator DGCA on September 30. It is being developed in phases by Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd, a joint venture where the Adani Group owns 74% and the remaining 26% is held by CIDCO, Maharashtra’s urban development authority.