Trial landing of IAF C-295 at Navi Mumbai airport marks important step

Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai International Airport reached a significant milestone on Friday as an Indian Air Force C-295 aircraft successfully completed the first landing at the site. The trial was accompanied by a flypast of a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet.
The landing trial, which took place at approximately 12.15 pm, was witnessed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with several Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly, and other dignitaries.
The first phase of the airport, jointly built by Adani Airport’s and CIDC, is expected to be completed by March 2025.
The aircraft touched down on the newly completed 3,700-metre runway, marking a crucial step in the airport’s development. Officials reported that 75% of the terminal building has already been constructed.
“The airport should be fully operational for domestic flights by March 2025, with international services expected to commence within the following five to six months,” said a spokesperson for the project.
The state-of-the-art facility, sprawling across 1,200 hectares, is designed to accommodate four terminals and two runways. Once fully operational, it will have the capacity to serve 90 million passengers annually, provide parking facilities for 350 aircraft, and handle 2.6 million tonnes of cargo.
The initial phases of Terminal 1 are projected to have a passenger capacity of 20 million and a cargo handling capacity of 0.8 million tonnes.