The Indian Air Force on Friday made the first landing at the greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport. An Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft touched down on the brand-new runway of the new airport at 12.15 pm on 11th October, marking the operational inauguration of the airport being built by Adani Airport and CIDC.
Following the landing of the C-295 aircraft, a Sukhoi SU-30 of the IAF performed a low flypast over the runway.
The trial landing of the military aircraft was witnessed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with several MPs and MLAs and other dignitaries.
A press release by Adani Group said that the inaugural landing represents a significant milestone in the Adani Group’s development of the greenfield international airport, which started in August 2021, during the pandemic and is scheduled to be operational in early 2025.
As per the company, the successful touchdown of the IAF C-295 marks an essential phase where the newly built runway, taxiways, air traffic control systems and handling procedures are put to the test to ensure that the airport meets all safety, regulatory and operational requirements. The trial allowed engineers, aviation authorities and airport operators to evaluate the performance and readiness of key infrastructure of the airport.
The company added that the landing demonstrates the airport’s capacity, preparedness and readiness for joint operations between civilian and military authorities for a variety of potential missions, including disaster response and emergency landings.
Jeet Adani, Director of Adani Airports, called it a historic moment for Navi Mumbai. He tweeted, “This marks the dawn of a new era in Indian aviation, where the sky is no longer the limit.” He also thanked Indian Air Force for the support.
A historic moment for Navi Mumbai as we celebrate the first landing on the new airport with the Indian Air Force’s C-295! Grateful for the support of @IAF_MCC , including a stunning low pass by the Su-30. This marks the dawn of a new era in Indian aviation, where the sky is no… pic.twitter.com/gxdJma94Ed
— Jeet Adani (@jeet_adani1) October 11, 2024
The phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed by March 2025, after which commercial operations will begin. The 3,700-metre-long runway 26 is now complete, marking a crucial milestone in the development of the airport. As per officials, 75% of the terminal building has already been constructed, and everything for phase 1 will be completed by March next year.
Phase 1 of the project includes a single runway and a terminal building, with the capacity of handling 2 crore passengers a year. The 2 lakh square metre T1 is being designed as per LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards.
After completion of the complete airport, it will have 2 runways and four terminals. It will be able to handle 9 crore passengers annually, provide parking facilities for 350 aircraft, and handle 26 lakh tonnes of cargo.
Navi Mumbai International Airport will become the second airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and it is being jointly developed by City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and Adani Airports through a public–private partnership (PPP) model on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. The airport will be built in three phases.
A consortium led by GVK Airport Developers Ltd won the bid to develop the airport in February 2017. In September 2020, Adani Group bought out GVK’s stake in the airport. The architect of the terminal buildings is Zaha Hadid Architects, while Larsen & Toubro is the contractor for civil construction.
Navi Mumbai International Airport’s (NMIA) strategic location makes it one of India’s most prominent aviation hubs of the future, serving as a gateway to both Maharashtra and Western India. NMIAL is designed to accommodate both domestic and international passengers, featuring state-of-the-art facilities, including a 3,700-metre runway capable of handling large commercial aircraft, modern passenger terminals and advanced air traffic control systems.
The completion of NMIAL project will be a vital boost to the local economy, improving accessibility and opening up new commercial opportunities for the Navi Mumbai region.
