The Indian aviation sector has been witnessing fast-paced growth over the past few years. Owing to the projected rise in air traffic demand and the need for capacity enhancement at airports, airport operators have taken the front seat in implementing airport expansion projects and constructing new ones. Two mega upcoming greenfield projects are the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in Maharashtra and Noida International Airport (NIA) in Uttar Pradesh.
Navi Mumbai International Airport
NMIA is scheduled to come up in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The need for this airport was felt due to the expected increase in air traffic at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). CSMIA currently handles 50 million-55 million passengers per annum (mppa) and is almost saturated in capacity. Operating on a single runway, the airport is known to be one of the most efficient of its size. The development of NMIA is hence, of utmost significance to meet the growing air traffic demand.
NMIA is strategically located, at a distance of around 35 km from CSMIA. Its location will help the two airports carry out simultaneous flight operations, as the dual runway system at NMIA is parallel to the main runway of CSMIA. The operationalisation of these airports would help create a multi-airport system (MAS).
With a focus on efficiency, NMIA, which is built over an area of 1,160 hectares, is targeting a passenger handling capacity of 90 mppa, and a cargo handling capacity of 2.6 million tonnes (mt), scalable to around 3.5 mt. Phase I and Phase II of the airport would be able to handle a total passenger capacity of 20 million, and include Terminal 1, a runway with two parallel taxi tracks as well as around 29 contact stands. Phase III would see the addition of Terminal 2, taking the total passenger handling capacity to 50 million. Meanwhile, Phase IV and Phase V would be built with the capacity to handle 70 mppa and 90 mppa respectively.
The airport would feature four terminals, which would be connected both on the landside and airside through a 10 km long automated people mover (APM). On the landside, passengers would have the facility to check in through any terminal and reach the desired terminal using APM. This is likely to lead to the creation of a hub for both domestic flights and international connections in the Asia-Pacific region.
The airport is also working towards integrating sustainable practices, featuring initiatives such as a rainwater harvesting system and a solar power plant of 36 MW. Further, it would be the first airport in the country to have a dedicated storage and refuelling area for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Keeping in mind passenger convenience, the central terminal complex is designed to minimise walking distances. Moreover, considering Mumbai’s status of the country’s financial capital, the airport is targeting to set up India’s largest general aviation (GA) facility having over 64 GA aircraft stands. Electric vehicles (EVs) are also part of the plan, to bring down emissions. The government is working to connect the airport to different destinations through e-buses. EVs will also be used for ground handling.
Adding to the list of firsts, the airport is set to be the first multimodal aviation hub. It would have road and waterway connectivity, a high speed rail network, a suburban rail, and a metro rail. Efforts are being made to connect the airport through other modes of transport as well. The newly inaugurated Mumbai Trans Harbour Link connects the south of Bombay, to Navi Mumbai, with the travelling time being less than 15 minutes, and passengers can reach the airport in less than 30 minutes. Further, passengers travelling out of Pune can also reach Navi Mumbai in 70-95 minutes through the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Additional metro connectivity is also being planned with the existing ones.
All the pre-development works for the airport site have been completed. The airport is expected to be ready by December 2024 and will start operations in March 2025, after obtaining clearances and operational trials.
Noida International Airport
NIA, the National Capital Region’s (NCR) second airport, will act as an MAS. It is the second greenfield project being set up by Zurich Airport International in India. The Zurich airport company was also a joint venture partner of the Bengaluru International Airport. After being awarded the project in 2019, Zurich Airport International formed Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the development of the airport. The Rs 60 billion project is being implemented on a 40-year concession agreement on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer basis.
The airport is well connected by road, with its proximity to the Yamuna Express Highway. It has metro rail connectivity and a rapid rail transportation system. The airport intends to focus on passengers and airlines, hospitality, ensuring quality, efficient infrastructure, safety and security, and digital and sustainable initiatives. It targets to become commercially successful. Emphasis is also on combining Indian hospitality with Swiss efficiency.
The airport will have a dominant roof structure covering the terminal. Keeping in mind the needs of users, the terminal is being designed to facilitate easy navigation.
The airport is also focusing on sustainability. A number of measures have been taken during the construction phase to reduce the use of cement, known to be one of the largest contributors to carbon footprint. It has made use of a new innovative material called Nanogence in partnership with Tata Projects. Nanogence helps in reducing the need for cement by 30-40 per cent in some areas, in turn, decreasing carbon emissions and a reduced carbon footprint. NIA is working towards adding a solar plant, an offshore wind plant, as well as waste and water management systems to achieve net zero.
Digital initiatives at the airport include the adoption of data-driven decision-making for increasing operational efficiency. Cost-efficient measures have also been taken such as the integration of a mixed rotation system. This allows a domestic aircraft to be immediately used for an international operation, without the need for it to be pushed back and brought to another stand, hence, aiding in cost reduction. A major achievement for the airport was reaching almost 28 million safe working man-hours for 8,000-9,000 workers at the site.
The airport is poised to become a major employment generator. A multi modal cargo hub is also being set up with Air India SATS, involving different logistics chains. This is expected to transform the regional, industrial and manufacturing sectors.
In recent developments, agreements have been signed with airlines including IndiGo and Akasa Air to start operations at the airport. Further, NIA expects to receive the concession agreement by the year-end and commence operations.
Conclusion
Looking ahead, the aviation sector in India is expected to witness an increase in demand for air travel. Further, with the aircraft fleet expected to double by 2030, air traffic is projected to see an upward trend. The addition of these airports, along with other upcoming brownfield and greenfield projects, is expected to help in capacity expansion to meet the anticipated rise in demand.
Based on presentations by Vikram Falodia, Head, Terminal Operations, Navi Mumbai International Airport; and Nicolas Schenk, Chief Development Officer, Noida International Airport, at a recent Indian Infrastructure conference
