IAF Conducts Critical Runway Test At Navi Mumbai International Airport Ahead Of March 2025 Opening
Navi Mumbai, 10th October 2024: On Friday, IAF aircraft will conduct a critical runway test at Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is slated to open in March 2025, as announced by Cidco chairman Sanjay Shirsat. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated during a virtual event in Nagpur that Sukhoi fighter jets would also take off from the airport “in the next two to three days.”
The trial flight is scheduled to occur between 3 PM and 4 PM on Friday, attended by Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Originally planned for October 5, the test was postponed.
On the same day, the Chief Minister will perform the bhumi puja for the long-awaited Maharashtra Bhavan near Vashi station and inaugurate a new full-fledged golf course at Kharghar.
Political analysts suggest that with assembly elections approaching and the model code of conduct likely to be implemented soon, the state government is eager to launch new initiatives and open completed projects.
Navi Mumbai airport is expected to serve 90 million passengers annually. According to Cidco, the airport, which is being developed by Adani Airports in partnership with the planning authority under a public-private model, aims to begin domestic flights by March 2025 and international operations by June 2025. The facility will include four terminals, two parallel runways, and parking space for 350 aircraft, alleviating pressure on Mumbai’s existing airport. The project’s estimated cost is ₹16,700 crore.
The long-pending Maharashtra Bhavan project, which has been in the pipeline despite available space in the commercial hub, is budgeted at ₹121 crore and will occupy 8,000 square meters. Belapur MLA Manda Mhatre has been advocating for the project, as many states already have their own Bhavans in Vashi. Additionally, Cidco has transformed the nine-hole golf course in Kharghar into an 18-hole international-standard facility, which will soon be accessible to the public.
