Navi Mumbai Airport To See First Passenger Flight Take Off In December

The Navi Mumbai International Airport will see first passenger flights take off in December, said Arun Bansal, the chief executive officer of Adani Airports, on Monday.

The airline which will take off first has not been finalised yet, the Adani Group official said, adding that "we are friends" with all carriers. IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India Express are among the airlines set to begin operations from the new airport, offering initial connections to key domestic destinations.

The phase 1 of the airport will have an annual passenger capacity of 20 million, the Adani Airports CEO said.

Talking about the next phase and the further developments, Bansal said that the company aims to start design work for the next phase in this fiscal. Adani Group also aims to finish building the second terminal at Navi Mumbai International Airport by 2029.

After the completion of all four terminals, the airport will manage 90 million passengers annually. According to Bansal, the aim is to make the Navi Mumbai International Airport a hub for international passenger travel.

Bansal also pointed out that the Terminal 1 of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport will remain open and will only close in 2029. He further added that both the terminals of Mumbai and one terminal at NMIA will work together.

Talking about the investments, B V JK Sharma, CEO, NMIAL, said that Rs 19,646 crore investment was made in the first phase. From the total investment, 65% of this is via debt financing.

He further added that Rs 30,000 crore investment will be made in the next phase. However, he clarified that the company is yet to plan a debt-equity split for the next phase.

According to Sharma, in the beginning, there will be 10-12 air traffic movements every hour. However, this will slowly be raised over time.

He also added that the airport will be capable of domestic and international operations from the first day itself.

The Navi Mumbai International Airport will begin operations following its ceremonial inauguration on Oct. 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the airport.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said last week that the airport will be named after late DB Patil, a social activist widely hailed for his work in ensuring compensation to project-affected persons in the region.

The greenfield airport will be the second airport to serve the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The runway is around 3,700 metres, capable of handling large commercial aircraft, along with modern passenger terminals and advanced air traffic control systems.

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