It is projected that the forthcoming Navi Mumbai airport will take longer than expected to establish operational stability, which will likely cause the revamp of Mumbai Airport’s ageing Terminal 1 (T1) to be postponed.
Terminal 1, which handles 14 million passengers annually, is devoted to domestic flights. The renovation will allow it to accommodate 20 million passengers annually by replacing the existing facility with a more contemporary one.
Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL) director Jeet Adani said in January of this year that the Navi Mumbai airport will handle the capacity gap while the reconstruction of Terminal 1 would begin in November.
Jugeshinder Singh, group chief financial officer of Adani Enterprises, responded to a question from an analyst on Friday by saying, “Yes, we need to stabilise the Navi Mumbai airport first so that the airlines are comfortable operating there, but we have not finalised the start date (of the demolition of T1).” We won’t decide until we are certain of both airports’ operational stability.
“There won’t be a rush or a short timeline. We will confer with airlines to decide the appropriate time (for the demolition of T1) once we announce the proper transfer to Navi Mumbai and the operational stabilisation of that airport,” Singh continued.
Modern electrical substations, district cooling, and an improved baggage handling system are all part of the T1 renovation proposal. From direct metro access to underground bus terminals, passengers would be able to enjoy seamless connectivity under the concept. The redesigned T1 was scheduled to be inaugurated in 2028–2029, according to AAHL.
After missing two deadlines, the Navi Mumbai airport is anticipated to begin commercial operations in June. It intends to launch domestic flights first, then international ones a few months later. After phase 1 of Navi Mumbai Airport stabilises, AAHL anticipates beginning phase 2 construction, increasing the airport’s capacity from 20 million to 60 million passengers annually.
Source: Financial Express
