Modi to lay Navi Mumbai airport's foundation on Feb 18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the bhoomi-pujan (foundation stone-laying) of the much-awaited Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Sunday.

The Rs 16,000 crore NMIA in Raigad district will be the second airport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and will be a major feat for civil aviation in India.

Maharashtra Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Civil Aviation Minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Nitin Gadkari,   Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, would be present on February 18 at the bhoomi-pujan ceremony,  

NMIA is one of the world's largest Greenfield international airports, currently proposed for development, offering world-class facilities for passengers, cargo, aircraft and airlines.

The proposed second airport for MMR is being built at Navi Mumbai for several reasons.

Prominent among them is the fact that Navi Mumbai is expected to cater to the future growth in population, business and commercial activities of MMR.

The airport site is located on an area of 1,160 hectares, accommodating two parallel runways for simultaneous and independent operations with provision for full-length taxiways on either side of the runways.

NMIA will support the rapidly growing air travel needs and is expected to handle  60 million passengers by 2030.