Vadhavan offshore airport work likely to begin in ’26: CM

Mumbai: "I'm hoping that we're able to begin the work on Vadhavan offshore airport in 2026," said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at an aviation conference held in Mumbai on Friday."We've appointed an agency to work on the Detailed Project Report (DPR)," he said, adding that Vadhavan airport will be the Mumbai Metropolitan Region's (MMR) third airport. "When we can reclaim land and build an offshore port at Vadhavan, why not build an offshore airport as well," said Fadnavis. After decades-long wait, the MMR region is set to get its second airport at Navi Mumbai soon. Currently, all airline flights land and take off from a single runway at the congested Mumbai airport.Plans to build an offshore runway and airport in Vadhavan at a cost of Rs 76,220 crore were announced in November last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Vadhavan Port, approved by the Union cabinet in June 2024, is set to become the largest seaport in India. A special purpose vehicle, the Vadhavan Port Project Limited (VPPL), owned by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) with a 74% stake and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) holding 26%, has been created to build the port project.The Navi Mumbai airport is expected to begin operations before the commencement of the winter schedule, which runs from Oct-end to March-end.Currently, a pre-feasibility study for the offshore Vadhavan airport is underway. Sources said the report is expected in three months.