The much awaited inaugural take-off and landing of aircraft on the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) was held successfully. or the trial run of the newly built air strip, a C 295 defense transport aircraft from Gandhinagar and Sukoi MK 30 fighter aircraft from Pune was specially flown in. The long awaited inaugural ceremony and the possibility of the airport witnessing its first landing and take off was made official by the newly appointed Chairman of CIDCO Sanjay Shirsat. Initially the inauguration was to coincide with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 5.
CM Eknath Shinde and others special dignitaries were also present for the occassion. Navi Mumbai International Airport, now called Loknete DB Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport, is set for completion by March 2025. Spread across 1,160 hectares, the airport is a greenfield development built by CIDCO and the Adani Group. It is located on National Highway 4B, just 10 minutes from Panvel, and is slated to operate domestic flights by March 2025 and international flights by June 2025.
Pegged at a budget of INR 16,700 crore, the airport will feature four terminals, and two parallel runways (each being 3,700 metres wide and 60 metres long) for independent operations, an aircraft maintenance site, an apron area, and a parking area for 350 flights. Equipped with four terminals, the airport is expected to handle over 90 million passengers annually.. The completion of Navi Mumbai International Airport will make Mumbai the first Indian city to have two international airports.