First flight from Navi Mumbai Airport in March 2025, says Scindia

The deadline for commercial operation of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has been pushed ahead again. Now, the first flight is likely to take off by March 31, 2025, said Union Civil Aviation and Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday after holding a meeting with all stakeholders of the proposed airport. Two days ago, while talking to the media at the sideline of an event in Nagpur, he stated that the commercial operation of Navi Mumbai is likely by November-December 2024. Scindia said that several agencies are involved in the mega project and a deadline that fits everyone is necessary. “I pushed the deadline to ensure that it meets the deadline or even before as a surprise,” said Scindia, adding that there are several approvals required including Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCR) for commercial operation and that is why the deadline has been pushed ahead.  In addition, he said that the connectivity to the airport is also important. “Navi Mumbai airport will have connectivity with metro, roads, suburban trains and waterways. To execute the project smoothly, the deadline has been pushed ahead,” said Scindia, adding that the decision has been taken after an hour-long meeting with all stakeholders at Navi Mumbai. “We are holding a meeting every month at cabinet or PMO to assess the development of NMIA. Now, I decided to make a physical visit to the airport to see the current status. Around 60% of physical work has been completed,” said Scindia. On this occasion, Scindia provided insights into the aviation sector, revealing that the estimated domestic air traffic in 2023 was around 15 crores. He expressed the expectation that this figure would double, reaching 30 crores by 2030. Currently, there are 149 operational airports in the country, including helipads. Scindia emphasized the need to increase this number to 200 by the year 2030 to accommodate the growing demands and enhance the overall aviation infrastructure. The deadline for commercial operation of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has been pushed ahead again. Now, the first flight is likely to take off by March 31, 2025, said Union Civil Aviation and Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday after holding a meeting with all stakeholders of the proposed airport. Two days ago, while talking to the media at the sideline of an event in Nagpur, he stated that the commercial operation of Navi Mumbai is likely by November-December 2024. Scindia said that several agencies are involved in the mega project and a deadline that fits everyone is necessary. “I pushed the deadline to ensure that it meets the deadline or even before as a surprise,” said Scindia, adding that there are several approvals required including Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCR) for commercial operation and that is why the deadline has been pushed ahead.  In addition, he said that the connectivity to the airport is also important. “Navi Mumbai airport will have connectivity with metro, roads, suburban trains and waterways. To execute the project smoothly, the deadline has been pushed ahead,” said Scindia, adding that the decision has been taken after an hour-long meeting with all stakeholders at Navi Mumbai. “We are holding a meeting every month at cabinet or PMO to assess the development of NMIA. Now, I decided to make a physical visit to the airport to see the current status. Around 60% of physical work has been completed,” said Scindia. On this occasion, Scindia provided insights into the aviation sector, revealing that the estimated domestic air traffic in 2023 was around 15 crores. He expressed the expectation that this figure would double, reaching 30 crores by 2030. Currently, there are 149 operational airports in the country, including helipads. Scindia emphasized the need to increase this number to 200 by the year 2030 to accommodate the growing demands and enhance the overall aviation infrastructure. No decision on naming the airport Scindia clarified that the final decision regarding the name of the Navi Mumbai airport rests with the cabinet and the Prime Minister. He emphasized that as of now, no decision has been reached on this matter. Notably, leaders representing the project-affected persons (PAPs) in Navi Mumbai have been advocating for the airport to be named after the late socialist and PAP leader, D B Patil. Over the past two years, they have conducted numerous protests to express their demand for this naming choice.