Navi Mumbai International Airport
Navi Mumbai International Airport is a proposed greenfield international airport, to be built in the Kopra-Panvel area of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in India. The airport is being built through public-private partnership (PPP). The yet to be chosen private sector partner will hold 74% equity while the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Government of Maharashtra (through CIDCO) each holding 13%. The airport project, aimed at easing Mumbai's air traffic congestion, has been delayed due to property disputes. Its first phase was supposed to be operational by 2014, but that deadline will not be met.
History
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The sea – shore land required is about 11.4 km² for the core airport activity and will have two parallel runways each 3700 metres long. It is to be located on highway NH 4B near Panvel, about 35 km from the existing Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport . The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has already given clearance to the Navi Mumbai airport on technical parameters. The Airport construction is at global tendering stage.
The cost of the project, which is being developed through the public-private partnership route, is estimated at 52.6 billion (US$960 million). The airport will have a terminal area of 250,000 m² and a cargo area of 100,000 m² and handle 50–55 million passengers annually. The site of airport is located in an area of 9.5 km² accommodating two parallel runways for simultaneous and segregated parallel operation with provision of full length taxi ways on either side of the runways. The airfield has been designed to accommodate the new large aircraft compatible to aerodrome code 4-F.
The new airport will cater to 10 million passengers a year in its initial phase (end-2014), 25 million by 2020, 45 million by 2025, and 60 million by 2030, according to CIDCO.
The site had several environmental problems in dealing with mangroves and rain/storm water drains in Panvel. There is an NGO fighting government agencies regarding Panvel. The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) gave its clearance for the Navi Mumbai international airport on 14 May 2008. The environmental ministry finally cleared the project on 23 November 2010.
Airport Plans
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The airport will have a total area of 1160 hectares. National Highway 4B will provide the main road access to the airport from the east, whereas the Aamra Marg will allow access from the west. The planned Sewri-Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link will connect the airport with Mumbai. The new airport will have a 10-lane approach road to its terminal building flanked by its two runways.
Runways
The airport is to have two parallel runways, 3,700 m long, 60 m wide and spaced 1,550 metres apart (ICAO minimum requirement is 1090m). The runways will be connected to the apron by taxiways with the approach road to the terminal passing underneath. The airport will be able to host new-generation aircraft like the Airbus A-380 and Boeing 747-8.
Terminals
The terminal building will cover over 5,23,000 sq meters. The two terminal buildings will have a total of 350 check-in counters. There will be three curbs each on the north and south sides. The level one curb will be dedicated to commercial vehicles, the second will be for arrivals and the third for departures.
The main terminal building will have five levels, including two mezzanine floors.
Level one of the terminal will house the metro train station, the commercial ground transportation curb, baggage sorting area and vehicular parking.
Level two (mezzanine) will have explosive detection baggage screening areas, bridge connections to parking areas, metro train station and offices.
Level three will have baggage claims, public arrival curbs and greeting areas The level three will be dedicated for arrivals.
Level four (mezzanine) will provide departing passenger access to the concourse. It will also provide arriving passengers access to baggage claim areas from concourse and also a bridge connection to the car park.
Level five will hold passenger check-in lobbies.
The terminal building will provide 81 Contact Aircraft Positions and 29 Remote Aircraft Parking bays. The adjoining cargo complex will cover 2,01,581 sq metres, while the aircraft fueling enclave will be spread over 1,51,000 sq metres. Over 276 hectares have been earmarked for non-aeronautical activities like hotels and commercial plazas. The airport will have parking slots for 5,500 cars, 3,500 bikes, 120 buses and 10 cargo trucks. It will cater to 10 million passengers per annum in the first phase and 60 million once it goes full stream by 2030. The total project cost is expected to be Rs 14,573 crore.
Objections to the Location
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Objections were raised by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on the current proposed location of the Navi Mumbai International airport near Kopra Panvel area, apparently because the construction of the airport would involve reclamation of low-lying areas in an ecologically fragile zone as well as destruction of several hectares of Mangroves. There are serious environmental issues. Its construction would damage mangrove cultivation in the 2,000 hectares, besides the diversion of Gadhi and Ulwe rivers, which according to the Union Environment and Forests Ministry is a very serious issue considering the destruction Mumbai faced during the 26 July 2005 floods. As a result of these new developments other locations were considered.
The original option of locating near Rewas Mandwa
The proposed airport site is centred around the region of Rewas and Mandwa near Alibaug, where the original proposal of second international airport existed on all regional development plans, and the location was commented to be the most fit and correct barring the excessive financial cost involved in building a sea-link/creek bridge over the Karanja Creek connecting Uran – JNPT area to the proposed airport at Rewas Mandwa. It is only at a distance of 20 nautical miles (37 km) by sea makes it a viable location.
The other option of locating near Kalyan – Nevali
The second option includes the one off village Newali near Kalyan-Ambernath 55 km away from the current airport in Mumbai. There exists an old and abandoned air-strip of World War II era and the Union Defence Ministry owns the 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of land on which it is located. The proposal was centred around those 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of land.
Both options were later ruled out and the site was finalized at Panvel.
Current Status:-
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The project has approval of Union and State Government. All the clearances except Forest clearance have been obtained. Draft RFQ bidding documents are being finalized and efforts are being made to commence Phase-I of Airport by 2015.
