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Navi Mumbai International Airport

Navi Mumbai International Airport Nears Operational Readiness with Successful Test Landing

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) moved closer to becoming operational after an Indigo Airbus A320 successfully landed on its southern runway on Sunday afternoon. This milestone flight, part of the airport’s certification process, signifies progress toward its anticipated opening by mid-May.

Officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) validated the instrument approach procedure and aircraft touchdown at 1:38 PM, a key requirement for securing the aerodrome license in the coming weeks.

The Airbus A320, departing from Mumbai airport at 12:32 PM, was greeted with a ceremonial water cannon salute upon arrival. The event had a celebratory atmosphere, attended by senior officials from various stakeholders, including DGCA, AAI, Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), customs authorities, and their families.

“The successful landing today is a crucial step in obtaining the permissions needed for operations by March. With construction advancing smoothly, we plan to hold a grand inauguration on April 17,” said BVJK Sharma, NMIA’s CEO.

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Roadmap to Operations

Post-inauguration, Navi Mumbai International Airport will be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to finalize security arrangements, a process expected to take about a month.

Domestic passenger and cargo operations are projected to begin by mid-May, with international flights likely to follow six months later.

Vijay Singhal, vice-chairman and managing director of CIDCO, which is developing the airport in partnership with AAHL under a public-private collaboration, highlighted NMIA’s phased development.

The first two of five construction phases, comprising the southern runway and terminal, are nearing completion.

Navi Mumbai International Airport
Navi Mumbai International Airport

Designed for Growth

The ₹20,000-crore project, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, is designed to handle 90 million passengers and 2.6 million tons of cargo annually when fully operational. Its infrastructure includes two parallel runways and two full-length taxiways.

Sunday’s landing follows earlier test milestones, including the Indian Air Force aircraft landing on October 11 and the calibration of the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) on December 12.

Navi Mumbai International Airport
Navi Mumbai International Airport

Significance for the Region

The commercial flight’s landing underscores NMIA’s readiness as a civil aviation hub. Uran MLA Mahesh Baldi emphasized the airport’s role in boosting the regional economy.

Named after activist DB Patil, who championed fair compensation for farmers during land acquisition, the airport is expected to increase Maharashtra’s GDP by 1% and create numerous local job opportunities.

As demand for air travel rises, NMIA is poised to alleviate congestion at Mumbai Airport, currently the second busiest in India.

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