January 29, 2026: India is set to add a major new aviation gateway with plans for its first offshore airport near Vadhavan Port on the Arabian Sea coast. Estimated to cost Rs 45,000 crore, the proposed facility is designed to handle up to 90 million passengers annually and significantly expand air and cargo capacity in western India. Industry observers say the project will ease mounting pressure on existing hubs such as Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and the recently operational Navi Mumbai Airport.
The proposed Vadhavan Airport will be developed entirely on reclaimed land off the Palghar district coast, making it India’s first offshore aviation project. A pre-feasibility study commissioned by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd (MADC) is nearing completion and outlines the airport’s strategic role in integrating air, sea, rail and road connectivity. Of the total project cost, nearly Rs 25,000 crore is expected to be spent on land reclamation alone, with the balance allocated to terminals, runways and other airside and landside infrastructure.
Planned as a high-capacity facility, the airport will feature two parallel runways to support heavy traffic and a full range of domestic and international operations. In addition to passenger movement, it is envisaged as a major air cargo hub with the ability to handle around 3 million metric tonnes of freight annually, strengthening the region’s logistics ecosystem.
Connectivity forms a central pillar of the project. Plans include a direct road link to the Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway, a potential metro connection integrated with the Western Railway network, and linkage to the proposed Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. The airport is also expected to connect with the planned Uttan–Virar Sea Link, providing faster access to the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Closely aligned with the development of the deep-draft Vadhavan Port, the offshore airport is positioned as part of India’s broader push to enhance multimodal infrastructure. Together, these projects are expected to strengthen India’s role in global trade corridors, including the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, while driving long-term regional economic growth.
Source: Aviatina2z
