Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said around 94 per cent work of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is over and the target of September 30 has been set for the launch of commercial operations from the facility.
This will be the most modern and fully-equipped airport in the country, and the authorities have been instructed to make the baggage claim system the fastest in the entire world, he said.
Fadnavis, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Forest Minister Ganesh Naik, conducted an inspection of the NMIA project earlier in the day.
Speaking to reporters after it, Fadnavis said, "Today, we came here to review the progress of the airport. We saw a detailed presentation on the work's advancement - from the runway to the terminal building - and got all information regarding it. Approximately 94 per cent of the physical progress is complete."
The runway is fully-equipped and the work on the terminal building is largely complete with interior work currently underway. The outer fa ade and external ceiling work needs to be finished with speed. All other works are progressing at full pace, he said.
"We saw the baggage-handling system, which is the most efficient in which the barcode of the baggage can be read 360 degrees scanning systems, ensuring it reaches the right place. We have asked the authorities that the baggage claim system in this airport should be the fastest not only in the country but in the entire world, and efforts are being made in that direction," the CM added.
Once the airport is ready with two runways, it will have the capacity to handle nine crore passengers (annually), he said.
The NMIA will be fully-equipped, meaning it will be many times bigger than the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, the chief minister said.
"This will be the most modern airport in the country...As we have to seek the appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (for the project launch), we have set the target of September 30 before them. It is an ambitious target," he said.
He further added, "Currently 13,000 to 14,000 workers are involved in the work daily, and we have asked the authorities to increase their strength by one-and-a-half times or double by September 30, because other licences are complete, but for commercial operations, all work has to be finished."
"That work of getting commercial licences is also being simultaneously directed so that by September 30, or around that time, whenever the PM gives time, we should be able to inaugurate the project and commercial operations can be launched. We are definitely making such efforts," he said. -- PTI
