PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate Navi Mumbai airport on September 30; domestic flights likely from late October

MUMBAI: Two months ago when the state govt announced Sept 30 as the latest deadline for the Navi Mumbai airport's inauguration, it was assumed to be another tentative date as in the past decade the airport had missed many deadlines, including three in the last twelve months.

On Thursday though, when the Airports Authority of India (AAI) extended its notice on the Navi Mumbai runway closure to only Sept 20, the month-end inauguration now appears to be certain. Domestic flights, a few to begin with, are expected to begin a month later around Oct-end or early Nov, said sources.

Since May, AAI has been extending the closure period of Navi Mumbai runway by issuing NOTAM (notice to airmen). The latest NOTAM states the Navi Mumbai runway will not be available for flight operations till 11.59 pm on Sept 20.

In March when AAI published Navi Mumbai airport's Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) it said the runway will be available for flight operations from mid-May. But in mid-May, AAI issued a NOTAM stating that the Navi Mumbai runway will not be available till Aug 7. Then in Aug, it extended the runway closure to Sept 3.

"Had the Sept 30 inauguration been postponed, the NOTAM issued on Thursday would have announced that the runway is not available till say, Oct 3," said an aviation source.

NOTAM keeps pilots updated about the non-functional status of airport and its runway. In case of a forced landing or an emergency then, the pilots concerned would know that the runway strip at Navi Mumbai hasn't been commissioned and so it doesn't have the facilities available at other operational airports.

Another source said that preparations are underway to receive the prime minister at the Navi Mumbai airport site on Sept 30. On Dec 29 last year, Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) had announced April 17 as the date of inauguration.


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