In a landmark moment for the Navi Mumbai International Airport, an Indian Air Force C-295 aircraft completed the first landing at the site. The Indian Air Force transport carrier landed at the Southern runway 26 of the airport at 12.14 pm, news agency PTI reported citing the airport operator.

The landing trial was witnessed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with several Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly.

Following the successful aircraft landing, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said, “It is a historic day. IAF's C-295 aircraft landed here and there was a flypast by Sukhoi fighter aircraft. This is a huge achievement. Before March, regular and commercial flights will begin from here (Navi Mumbai airport). It will reduce the load on Mumbai airport. We will connect Mumbai airport and Navi Mumbai airport by metro."

The first phase of the airport, being developed jointly by the Adani Group and the CIDC is expected to be completed by March 2025. The Airport is set to revolutionize air travel in India with its state-of-the-art facility spanning 1,200 hectares. Designed to accommodate four terminals and two runways, the airport to serve an impressive 90 million passengers annually upon full operation.

In a statement, the Adani Group said, “In a landmark moment for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA; Airport Code: NMI), an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft successfully touched down on its South runway. The inaugural landing of the IAF C-295, a large multi-role tactical airlift, represents a significant milestone in the Adani Group's development of the greenfield international airport, which started in August 2021, during the pandemic and is scheduled to be operational in early 2025.”

Agencies