Maharashtra CM Shinde Announces Third Airport in Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday told the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha on Friday that looking at the rising air traffic need, the state government is exploring the possibility of constructing the airport at Palghar.

The airport will serve as MMR’s third airport after the operational Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the under construction Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in Panvel.

The Palghar district is part of the MMR and is about 95 kms away from Mumbai. It has a coastline of 112 km.

According to state officials, the Maharashtra government has identified Kelva-Mahim and Dapchari as two places for the proposed airport in Palghar. However, the land acquisition has not yet started.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, the second busiest airport in the country after the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, can handle over 900 flights per day. However, it has already reached its saturation level. Its further development is slowed down due to difficulties in shifting the existing slums on airport land.

The first phase of the Navi Mumbai airport, which is expected to handle 40 million passengers when it becomes fully operational, is likely to be commissioned by the end of 2024.

“In future, there will be a lot of traffic on the Mumbai and the Navi Mumbai airports and another airport is needed. And hence, planning has to start from now and Palghar is the most suitable site,” officials said.

The Palghar airport it will be used for landing of small aircrafts, for emergency situations such as floods and for VIP movements to begin with. The facility will then be upgraded as and when required, they added.