Navi Mumbai airport by 2013: Patel

The bidding process and selection of joint venture partners for constructing the new greenfield airport at Navi Mumbai will be completed within 2007...

The bidding process and selection of joint venture partners for constructing the new greenfield airport at Navi Mumbai will be completed within 2007, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said after meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today.

Following the meeting, Patel announced that all pending issues with the Maharashtra government would be resolved in a month or two and the government would then proceed for Cabinet approval for the building of the airport in PPP mode with the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) of Maharashtra, the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

The location of the proposed international airport has been identified on the National Highway 4B at a distance of 35 km from Santa Cruz airport near Panvel in the centre of Navi Mumbai. The availability of physical and social infrastructure coupled with environment friendly site with lease re-settlement and rehabilitation is what make the project technically and financially viable. Also, the airport is expected to absorb future growth in population, business and commercial activities of the Mumbai region.

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The demand of air travel forecast for Mumbai Metropolitan Region reveals that the air travel demand is growing to the tune of 20 million passengers per annum in 2006-07 and is expected to touch 91 million passengers per annum by 2030-31.

The airport will be located in an area of 1140 hectares and will accommodate two parallel and independent runways for simultaneous and independent operation with a provision of full length taxiway on either side of runways. The airfield will be designed to accommodate the new large aircraft (A380) compatible to ICAO standard of Aerodrome Code 4-F.

This airport is expected to absorb 10 million passengers per annum in first operational year of 2013, double to 20 million passengers per annum by 2020 followed by 30 million passenger per annum in 2025 and ultimately 40 million passengers per annum by 2030. The revised basic cost of airport project in 2006-07 is Rs 4,235 crore spread over four phases.

While Rs 1,340 crore will be spent in the first phase, Rs 990 crore, Rs 465 crore and Rs 383 crore will be spent in the second, third and fourth phases, respectively. Proposed to be executed on public-private partnership basis by forming a special purpose vehicle (SPV), CIDCO & AAI will hold equity to the extent of 26% and the rest will be held by private developer. The SPV will design the project, raise required resources, issue EPC contract to build and manage the airport during the concession period and finally transfer back the assets.

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Upon approval from the Union Cabinet, CIDCO would follow the guidelines for setting up the greenfield airport prescribed by the Civil Aviation Ministry for formulation of project by appointing consultants to carry out various studies, including Masterplan and detailed project report, invite Expression of Interest, Issue of Bid documents, select a private entrepreneur and form an SPV and finally execute the necessary documents.

Patel also said the National Cargo and Passenger Hub for the nation are being developed in Nagpur. The Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC) and AAI will sign an MoU for development of the airport, acquisition of additional land and other infrastructural-related issues.