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The construction of Navi Mumbai airport is encountering delays, potentially pushing the commencement of commercial operations to 2025, instead of the initially targeted 2024, according to aviation consultancy firm CAPA. The Adani Group, responsible for the project, vehemently insists it will adhere to the original December 2024 deadline. Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), a subsidiary of the Adani Group, oversees both the construction and operation of the airport.
Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), also under the Adani Group, plans to invest around Rs 2,800 crore (approximately $340 million) until FY24 to enhance efficiency and expand capacity, primarily through improvements to runway utilisation. The Adani Group is implementing various initiatives to enhance terminal and airside capacity at Mumbai airport. This includes doubling the processing space in the pre-embarkation security area (PESC) to about 2,075 square metres and introducing eight new security lanes in PESC, including a domestic-to-domestic (D2D) transfer facility. Moreover, the construction of a new taxiway called "Taxiway Z" at Mumbai airport aims to reduce aircraft holding time, thereby improving on-time performance.
However, Mumbai airport faces limitations as it is located in a congested urban area. The airport's passenger handling capacity is capped at 60 million per year. The two runways there intersect, allowing only one to be used at a time. Consequently, there are effectively no new slots available for airlines to operate additional flights, further necessitating the need for Navi Mumbai airport to alleviate congestion.
Navi Mumbai airport is slated to initially accommodate up to 20 million passengers annually, with ambitious plans to expand to approximately 90 million passengers per year by 2032. CAPA underscores near-term challenges for Mumbai airport concerning infrastructure and capacity. Even before the pandemic and the collapse of Jet Airways in 2019, the airport was operating at nearly full capacity, with 49.8 million passengers in 2018 and 47.1 million in 2019.
In the absence of Jet Airways' revival, IndiGo has emerged as the dominant airline at Mumbai airport, offering three times the number of seats and double the available seat-kilometres (ASKs) compared to its nearest competitor, Air India. IndiGo primarily focuses on domestic connectivity, with 87 percent of its seats at Mumbai airport serving destinations within India. The airline leverages the UDAN regional connectivity scheme to enhance connectivity to numerous smaller cities, cementing its prominent position in Mumbai's aviation landscape.
The current limitations at Mumbai airport signify the need for Navi Mumbai airport to alleviate congestion, especially as it plans to expand and accommodate a substantial increase in passenger traffic by 2032. Despite the Adani Group's insistence on adhering to the original deadline, challenges persist. Addressing these challenges remains crucial for India's aviation infrastructure.
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