Navi Mumbai Airport completes first flight validation test

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) took a step towards becoming operational with its first commercial flight validation test.

"Runway 08/26 at NMIA (Airport Code: NMI) came alive as an A320 aircraft from Indigo Airlines successfully touched down, marking a milestone in the international airport's journey toward becoming fully operational," says an official release from Adani Airport Holdings.

The aircraft was welcomed with the traditional water salute by two Crash Fire Tenders (CFT) of NMIA, the release added.

The moment was witnessed by senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI) as well as Adani Airport Holdings and other key stakeholders.

“This is a momentous day for Navi Mumbai International Airport," says Arun Bansal, Chief Executive Officer, Adani Airport Holdings. "The successful completion of the validation flight is a major milestone, and we are now one step closer to operationalising the airport, prioritising safety at every step. We are grateful to the DGCA and all the agencies involved in making the validation flight trial successful. NMIA will not only offer world-class aviation facilities, it will also enable the overall development of the region."

The exercise included technical assessment, landing and take-off manoeuvres, paving the way for the DGCA to validate the data collected from the flight and for NMIA to receive the aerodrome licence, which is essential to operate the airport. Prior to the landing of the validation flight, NMIA successfully conducted the flight calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI).

On October 11, 2024, the inaugural landing of an Indian Air Force C-295, a large multi-role tactical airlifter, took place, representing a milestone in the development of the greenfield international airport, the release added.

NMIAL is part of Adani Airports Holdings, and is owned by Mumbai International Airport (MIAL with 74 percent shareholding) and City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO with 26 percent shareholding). CIDCO, a Government of Maharashtra undertaking, is also the Concessioning Authority for the project.

Once complete, the airport will have the capacity to manage over 90 million passengers per annum (MPPA). In the initial phase, the airport is implementing a passenger capacity of 20 MPPA and 800,000 tonnes per annum of cargo handling capacity, the release added.