An incredible £1.6 billion mega airport is set to open next year, welcoming 25 million new passengers every year.
Navi Mumbai International Airport will be Mumbai’s second international airport and an alternative to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The airport, currently under construction, was named after the late leader of the Peasants and Workers Party of India, Dinkar Balu Patil.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2018, but construction did not begin until August 2021.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol confirmed that the mega airport will become operational in March 2025.
However, the construction of the new airport already faced several challenges. The northern part of the airport site consisted of swampy seabed that had to be raised to prevent flooding.
The preparatory work included levelling the Ulwe hill, rehabilitating wetlands, diverting the Ulwe river outside the airport boundary and widening the canal to 60 metres and even laying power lines.
The estimated cost of the 9.1 square kilometre airport is £1.6 billion and it required the relocation of 2,786 people from ten villages.
The entire project is scheduled to be completed in 2032. At that time, over 90 million passengers and 2.5 million tons of cargo will be handled annually.
Navi Mumbai International Airport will consist of three interconnected terminals, each designed like a lotus flower, the national flower of India, and will have two runways.
The terminals have dining areas, lounges, moving walkways and other facilities for passengers.
In addition, a fourth terminal will be built specifically for low-cost airlines, which will be able to handle at least 2 million passengers per year in the first construction phase.
The airport will be located about 35 kilometers from Mumbai’s existing international airport and will have parking facilities for up to 5,500 vehicles.
