The state-of-the-art Navi Mumbai International Airport will be opened by Prime Minster Narendra Modi today. The airport is expected to boost trade and tourism for Mumbai, Pune and the Konkan area.
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PM Modi will undertake a walkthrough of the airport and inaugurate it around 3.30 pm. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.
"The wait is finally over," said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a post on X. "This airport is set to redefine air travel, boost Maharashtra's growth, and connect India to the world like never before," he added.
Built at a cost of Rs 19,650 crore, the airport is initially expected to handle 2 crore passengers a year. It will not only facilitate seamless travel but also provide direct access to global markets for industries in Pune.
The airport is built under a Public-Private Partnership between Mumbai International Airport Ltd (a subsidiary of Adani Airports Holdings Ltd), and CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd).
Ahead of the inauguration, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani praised the collective efforts behind the project. Responding to a post on X by Jeet Adani, Director of Airports at the Adani Group and his youngest son, Gautam Adani wrote, "To every hand that worked and every heart that cared, this is your creation".
The airport will "propel Maharashtra to new heights," said Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol in a post on X. The project will bring significant benefits to Pune, Mumbai, and Konkan, providing provide direct access to global markets, he said.
The country's largest Greenfield airport project with a 3,700-metre runway, it would work with Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The second international airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region would ease congestion and elevate Mumbai into the league of cities with multi-airport systems like London, Tokyo and New York.
Airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express have already announced plans to begin operations, with initial flights connecting various domestic cities.
Once completed, the airport will serve 90 million passengers and manage over 3.2 million metric tonnes of cargo a year.
