December 30, 2025: India could be on track to develop its first offshore airport, with a proposed facility planned near the upcoming Vadhavan Deep Sea Port in Palghar district, Maharashtra. The pre-feasibility study for Vadhavan Airport is expected to be completed by May 2026 and is intended to assess the exact location, size, runway configuration and technical features of the greenfield project. The study, which began in mid-2025, is being conducted by Grant Thornton and Nippon Koei India for the Maharashtra Airport Development Company.
If approved, Vadhavan Airport would become the third airport serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport. The project aims to ease congestion at Mumbai’s existing airports while supporting future passenger and cargo growth. Planned as an offshore airport built on reclaimed land, the facility is expected to integrate sea, air, rail and road connectivity, with a strong focus on cargo movement linked to the nearby deep seaport.
The airport proposal is closely aligned with the Vadhavan Port project, which is being developed in Palghar, around 150 km north of Mumbai. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis indicated in July 2025 that groundwork for the airport could begin in 2026, subject to the completion of the pre-feasibility study and submission of a Detailed Project Report (DPR). Construction will depend on funding arrangements, statutory clearances and favourable outcomes from technical assessments.
Vadhavan Port, which is still under development, is a greenfield deep-draft port being implemented by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority through a special purpose vehicle with the Maharashtra Maritime Board. The foundation stone for the Rs 76,220 crore project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 30, 2024. The port is planned to handle 298 million metric tonnes annually, including 23.2 million TEUs of container capacity, with Phase 1 targeted for completion by 2029-30.
Together, the port and proposed airport are expected to strengthen trade, reduce pressure on JNPT, improve logistics efficiency and generate an estimated 10–12 lakh direct and indirect jobs. The integrated infrastructure is also planned to connect with the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train, freight corridors and the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, reshaping connectivity and economic activity across the MMR and Palghar region.
Source: News18
