Construction works at Mumbai Airport may cause disruptions

 

Photo Courtesy: The Moodie Davitt Report

Vineeta Rao
Auckland, February 5, 2025

Mumbai Airport’s Terminal 1 is located in the city’s eastern suburbs of Santa Cruz.

It stands on the site of the Royal Airforce Airfield. It was home to several RAF squadrons during World War II from 1942 to 1947. It had only three runways.

Travellers to India via Mumbai may need to rethink their travel plans as authorities announced that Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport’s (CSMIA) Terminal 1 will undergo renovation starting later this year. This will enhance the airport’s capacity by 42% to handle 20 million additional passengers. The project, scheduled to begin in early November this year, is estimated to take around three years to complete.

The expansion is part of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL)’s efforts to accommodate the rising demand for air travel to the city.

The airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, with the latter being the more recently built structure. Terminal 1 was built over the last 50 years has been largely used for domestic air travel and has been refurbished several times over the last few decades, the last being in 2000.

Safety Concerns

According to the update released by MIAL, operated by Adani Airport Holdings Limited,  Terminal 1 has several safety and structural concerns and it was decided to demolish the existing structure and rebuild completely. The redevelopment is aimed primarily at increasing the airport’s capacity but will also look at enhancing the traveller experience. The yet-to-be-built Terminal 1 will connect to Terminal 2 via a three-lane underground tunnel which will improve passenger movement and address the  ‘structural and safety issues of Terminal 1.’

MIAL revealed that the design for the new terminal incorporates sustainability and innovation in the design, focusing on digitalisation across the two million sq ft building. It includes a complete overhaul of the Passenger Terminal Building, featuring state-of-the-art infrastructure, including district cooling systems, modern electrical substations and an upgraded baggage handling system.

A biophilic design will offer passengers a calm and serene environment, incorporating a lot of natural light, indoor greenery, and open spaces enhanced by a design inspired by the fluid motion of waves. MIAL is certainly going the distance to ensure a futuristic eco-friendly airport for the city.

But while these plans are underway, what happens to the hardy air traveller? Currently, the airport handles 15 million passengers annually and is considered the second busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic. Plans are in place to mitigate and minimise any disruptions from the renovations.

Terminal 2 improvements

Terminal 2 will take on some of the passenger traffic while the renovations are underway and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, which becomes operational in March this year, will also help by taking on 10 million passengers.

Mumbai is not the only airport to get a glow-up.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) recently announced that it would be temporarily closing Terminal 2 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for four to six months in FY 2025-26 to undergo a comprehensive overhaul. The work is expected to conclude in the September quarter of 2025-26.

Meanwhile, Jewar International Airport, located in Noida near Delhi, is set to begin operations this April. Slated to be Asia’s biggest operations, India’s Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, said that the new airport is expected to boost global connectivity and enhance accessibility within the region.

The airport was constructed under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Nagrik) Scheme, which aims to improve air connectivity within the country. The scheme will see the addition of 100 new airports across the country over the next few years.

Vineeta Rao is an Indian Newslink Reporter based in Auckland.

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