Navi Mumbai airport inauguration: First flight from NMIA expected around Xmas

The longawaited Navi Mumbai International Airport NMIA was finally inaugurated on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi The ceremony took place after the Prime Minister landed at the new airport around 240 pm Following this he inaugurated the final phase of the Mumbai Metro Line 3 the Mumbai One app and the Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women STEP programmePrime Minister Narendra Modi is presented a memento by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Ajit Pawar left and Eknath Shinde right during the inauguration of Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai International Airport in Ulwe on Wednesday PICSATUL KAMBLEldquoWith this airport Indiarsquos aviation network will grow to further heights it will provide even the layman a chance to travel via airrdquo said Modi ldquoThe Navi Mumbai International Airport is a project that exemplifies the vision of a developed Indiardquo he added Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu in his speech during the inauguration said ldquoThe new airportrsquos ecosystem will provide more than two lakh jobs for the youth of the countryrdquoOperation informationThe first phase of NMIA the countryrsquos largest greenfield airport constructed on an area spanning 1160 hectares has been built at a cost of Rs 19650 crore Multiple airlines are expected to release ticket fare details later this month as the airport is expected to open in late December According to sources the Central Industrial Security Force CISF will conduct a thorough security search of the airport which might take at least 30 days while other processes involving immigration and customs take place only after which domestic and international operations will commenceCitizens throng the site of the inauguration to catch a glimpse of the Prime MinisterIndiGo Akasa Air and Air India three of Indiarsquos most prominent domestic airlines have already announced their operations from the airport IndiGo in May was the first airline to announce operations from NMIA stating that it would be expanding from 18 flights on the first day to 140 flights eventually The first 18 daily flights would be to more than 15 Indian citiesA month later Akasa Air stated that it would operate 100plus weekly domestic departures initially scaling up to 300plus domestic and over 50plus international departures weekly in the winter schedule Air India announced in September that its subsidiary Air India Express would operate 20 daily departures or 40 Air Traffic Movements ATMs from and to NMIA connecting 15 Indian cities and that it eventually intended to scale up to 55 daily departures 110 ATMs by mid2026 including up to five daily international flights from NMIABy winter 2026 Air India aims to further expand its operations to 60 daily departures 120 ATMs from NMIA seamlessly connecting passengers to key domestic and international destinations Campbell Wilson chief executive officer and managing director of Air India told midday ldquoWe are starting with 20 operations from NMIA and intend to introduce new schedules and destinations from the new airport We intend to provide more options from NMIA while not taking away the connectivity from CSMIArdquoCops at NMIA brave blazing sunEven as the Navi Mumbai International Airport NMIA shimmered in splendour amid its inauguration on Wednesday there was another sight that caught attention mdash one that spoke of quiet duty and endurance Under the blazing afternoon sun traffic police and security personnel stood tirelessly along airport routes ensuring that the cityrsquos most anticipated event went off without a hitchPolice personnel attempt to beat the heat near the Navi Mumbai International Airport on Wednesday PicsAmarjeet SinghFrom 1030 am several stretches around Ulwe and areas surrounding the NMIA witnessed heavy deployment of police personnel Few were seen patrolling with umbrellas while others sought a momentary respite under the shade of small trees The heat was unrelenting with temperatures soaring yet the traffic moved smoothly a testament to their discipline and coordinationA constable stationed near the NMIA entrance shared on condition of anonymity ldquoWe got lunch and water but tea was not served The sun was unbearable but we had to stay alert With the Prime Ministerrsquos visit and VIP movement we couldnrsquot afford to make even a small mistakerdquo Another officer resting briefly near a barricade added with a faint smile ldquoThe only shade we found was from our umbrellas and the trees Itrsquos part of our duty We just wanted everything to go peacefully and it didrdquoFor many officers the task was clear maintain law and order regulate vehicles and ensure that no untoward incident disrupted the historic inauguration Despite the scorching heat no one left their post Some officers even guided pedestrians and managed crowds patiently while others coordinated traffic diversions seamlessly Amarjeet Singh