Officially known as D. B. Patil International Airport, Navi Mumbai International Airport is a new international airport being built in Maharashtra. After completion, it would serve alongside the current Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai as the second airport. The airport was supposed to be operational by 2024. However, due to a delay in construction, the commercial operation of Navi Mumbai International Airport is being pushed to 2025.
Navi Mumbai Airport To Commence Commercial Operations In 2025
The October Update on the D.B. Patil International Airport, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai MR.
1 & 2 . Terminal work in full progress.
3 & 4 . Runway marking being done.
đź“·: ProjectEVOUpdates. https://t.co/TmwZwLzPLe pic.twitter.com/oc0KepztLV
— Haldilal (@haldilal) October 17, 2023
According to research by aviation consulting firm CAPA, commercial operations at Navi Mumbai Airport are expected to start in 2025 rather than 2024 due to construction delays. When questioned about the situation, The Adani Group told Business Standard that the project to build the Navi Mumbai airport is proceeding according to the planned implementation timetable and will be completed on schedule by the original target date of December 2024.
Issue With Renaming This Airport:
The Maharashtra government’s “delay” in obtaining Centre clearance to rename the planned airport after late leader D B Patil has agitated members of the Navi Mumbai airport all-party action group. As an act of protest, the committee members erected signboards renaming three villages’ roads in the vicinity of the future airport after the late MP D B Patil.
When the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) purchased land nearby decades ago, farmers and landowners in the Panvel tehsil of Raigad district staged several protests under the direction of the late D B Patil. The proposal to rename the planned Navi Mumbai International Airport after D B Patil was approved by the Maharashtra cabinet, which was chaired by Eknath Shinde, in July of last year.
Also Read: Navi Mumbai Airport To Be Operational By 2024! Here Are Details About Connectivity, Runways & More
Increased Capacity, Parking Space And Other Features
The new airport seeks to relieve pressure on the city’s current airport, which now handles close to 45 million people annually in light of the booming population and economic influence in the Mumbai region.
In addition to improving regional connectivity, Navi Mumbai International Airport will have other transportation options. The full project, with a capacity to serve 90 million passengers annually, is expected to be finished in 2032. By 2032, Navi Mumbai Airport would also have the capacity to handle 2.5 million tonnes of cargo.
The airport’s design calls for three connected terminals, each of which will feature a lotus—India’s national flower. With plans to initially accommodate at least 2 million passengers a year, the fourth terminal will be reserved for low-cost airlines.
There will be parking available for up to 5,500 vehicles at the airport. It will be located roughly 35 kilometres from Mumbai Airport. It will have two runways and 42 aircraft parking areas. An area of 11.4 km would be covered by the Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The new airport’s construction has faced many difficulties. To prevent floods, the swampy sea soil that characterised the northern portion of the airport site had to be lifted.
Also Read: Passenger Denied Airport Wheelchair Access, Seeks ₹10 Cr; Here’s What To Do In These Situations
A huge slope that contained millions of cubic metres of rock was also a big hindrance when building the airport.
Cover Image Courtesy: Navi Mumbai International Airport/ Website
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