Navi Mumbai: Reiterating that the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is 60% complete and it will be operational by the end of December 2024, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Gen (Retd) VK Singh said the airport will open avenues of growth for the people, particularly youth.
“NMIA will be a boon to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region since it will provide ample employment opportunities. It will boost the transportation, cargo and other sectors besides providing maximum utilisation of commercial space,” Gen Singh said while virtually addressing ‘Akanksha Ki Udan’, a conclave of opportunities around NMIA held at Vashi today.
"Airport will also help Indian economy"
“The airport will also help the Indian economy to a great extent since it will generate huge income not only for the airport operator and other stakeholders but also to the people working in the facility. It will have two passenger terminals, one cargo and one general aviation terminal besides providing facility for the white body long aircraft to take-off and land,” the minister said adding, “It will be constructed at a cost of Rs20,000 crore in the first phase that will help the movement of 20 million passengers per year. The passenger movement will go up to 60 mppa after completion of the phases 2 and 3.”
Speaking after inaugurating the conclave, Maharashtra Minister of Skill Development, Employment and Innovation, Mangalprabhat Lodha said that once completed the airport will be ‘advantage young India’ since it will provide a better future to close to four lakh youth by providing employment through skill development.
Airport to witness 50,000 passengers daily
In his keynote address, Joint President (Planning and Design) of Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), Charudatta Deshmukh said that the first commercial flight from NMIA will take-off or land on April 1, 2025 and the airport will help in rapid growth in businesses across various sectors.
“Once NMIA starts operations, it will witness 50,000 daily passengers, 25,000 daily visitors and 400 daily flights,” Deshmukh added.
Former MP Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, and MLAs Ganesh Naik and Manda Mhatre also addressed the gathering that comprised of business leaders, real estate developers, professionals, students and youths.
