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It is the first airport in the country to have multi-modal connectivity. This includes a linkage to the project via road, rail, and a metro system.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is expected to be inaugurated in the second week of April, followed by the launch of domestic commercial operations in May.
This comes nearly two months after a commercial validation test was conducted at the under-construction airport.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) met airport officials to examine the aerodrome’s readiness.
A full day inspection of the airport was recently conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and DGCA teams.
The airport is expected to commence international operations by July next year, Arun Bansal, chief executive officer (CEO), Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the Adani Group, had said in December.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reportedly met with NMIA stakeholders to review preparedness for securing an aerodrome licence.
A validation landing conducted in December assessed new flight instruments installed at an aerodrome.
It is conducted to confirm operational safety for aircraft procedures as part of an aerodrome certification process.
In its first phase of operations, the airport will have the capacity to handle 20 million passengers annually.
It is projected to handle about 8-10 million passengers for domestic operations within the first six months of its launch.
NMIA will be the second airport to serve the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Currently, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is the only operational airport serving the Mumbai region. CSMIA handles over 50 million passengers annually.
In December, an IndiGo flight with no passengers onboard touched down at the airport, making it the first commercial jet to land at the airport.
NMIA conducted the flight calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI), subsequently drafting instrument approach procedures to prepare for the arrival of the validation flight.
In October, the Airbus C-295 of the Indian Air Force (IAF) landed at the airport, marking the first touchdown of any flight at the aerodrome.
The entire construction of the airport is expected to be completed in five phases. The project is expected to cost around Rs 18,000 crore.
It is the first airport in the country to have multi-modal connectivity. This includes a linkage to the project via road, rail, and a metro system.
In the near future, it is set to be connected via a waterway.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
