Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Wednesday, October 8, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, and Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat. The D.B. Patil Airport in Ulwe was built for Rs 19,650 crore.
PM Modi also met and interacted with disabled children who welcomed the Prime Minister with placards during the launch event in Navi Mumbai. NIMA is expected to start its commercial flight services by December this year.
Mumbai has now joined the league of global cities like London, New York and Tokyo that have more than one International Airport. PM Modi also reviewed the newly built airport under Public–Private Partnership (PPP).
NMIA will ease the burden on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and redefine the passenger experience with its new AI-enabled technology.
Navi Mumbai Airport Features
Phase one of Navi Mumbai Airport features a runway and one terminal, which is expected to handle over 20 million passengers per year. The terminal was designed with smart biometric e-gates and an automated people mover to a massive MRO facility. The NMIA passengers will be able to access water taxi facilities to ease long-standing congestion.
Navi Mumbai Airport Lotus Terminal
The airport terminal represents nationalism it as it is given the shape of a Lotus with AI-enabled features, giving the next-generation aviation facilities. The lotus-themed roof has daylight columns with changing lights automatically according to the timings.
The NMIA was architect keeping in mind India's heritage with facilities of self-baggage drops, facial recognition check-in systems at the entrance. The airport is eco-friendly as it runs on 47 megawatts of solar energy generation.
India's largest cargo and aircraft maintenance hubs make Mumbai fthe irst Indian city to be served by two fully scale international airports, NMIA is set to lead the financial capital into the future.