Modi opens Navi Mumbai airport Phase 1 and Metro Line 3 Phase 2B

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai International Airport in Ulwe, Navi Mumbai, marking the opening of a new international gateway intended to relieve pressure on Mumbai’s existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The ceremony, held in the afternoon, also included the dedication of the final stretch of Mumbai Metro Line 3 and the launch of an integrated urban mobility app and a state skill-training programme.

Built under a public private partnership at an estimated cost of about Rs 19,650 crore, the Navi Mumbai airport occupies roughly 1,160 hectares. The project is operated by a joint venture in which Adani Airports Holdings Ltd holds a 74 percent stake and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra holds 26 percent, officials said. Phase 1 comprises a single integrated terminal with an initial capacity of 20 million passengers per year and an initial cargo handling capacity of about 0.5 million metric tonnes. The airport is planned to expand to four terminals and two parallel runways, with total capacity projected at about 90 million passengers and 3.25 million metric tonnes of cargo annually...