Murlidhar Mohol, the minister of state for civil aviation, announced on Saturday that the Navi Mumbai International Airport is expected to start operations in March 2025.
Mohol, along with Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, inspected the airport site and assessed the progress of the ongoing work.
“Going by the progress of the work, the airport will be operational in March next year. It will enhance connectivity with neighbouring Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Kalyan, and western Maharashtra,” Mohol said, highlighting its international standards and anticipated annual footfall of nearly 20 million passengers.
The minister expressed his support for naming the airport after the late PWP leader DB Patil. He also reassured that issues related to compensation for project-affected persons (PAP) would be addressed through discussions with the management.
“We are committed to ensuring that people who have contributed land for the airport project are not displaced,” the minister clarified, emphasising the government’s awareness of project-related issues and compensations.
Mohol stressed the continuous support provided by Prime Minister Modi for development projects in Maharashtra.
Regarding the results of the Maharashtra council elections, Mohol praised the performance of the Mahayuti alliance and suggested that the Congress should reflect on its internal challenges.
In the biennial elections for 11 legislative council seats held on Friday, the ruling Mahayuti alliance secured victories in all nine seats it contested, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi suffered a setback as a candidate supported by NCP (SP) was defeated.