Navi Mumbai: Navi Mumbai’s long-awaited international airport inched closer to becoming operational last weekend after a private jet from Ahmedabad made history by becoming the first aircraft to officially land at the greenfield facility.
The aircraft, operating under a Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (charter), touched down at 10:20 am on Saturday, September 20, before departing past noon the following day, marking the runway’s first passenger flight operation. A viral video shows the private aircraft landing at the airport.
While the airport has seen a few trial runs before, including an IndiGo Airbus 320 validation flight in December 2024 to test navigation systems and an Indian Air Force Airbus C-295’s symbolic touchdown last October without ground-based aids, this latest event is being hailed as a milestone because it involved an actual passenger charter service.
According to reports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) granted approval for a non-scheduled passenger aircraft to land at Navi Mumbai on September 19. To accommodate the historic operation, AAI revised its earlier notice to airmen (NOTAM), which had declared the runway closed until September 20 midnight. A fresh notification allowed the runway to remain open between 8:30 am and 11 am on Saturday and again for three hours on Sunday, according to a Times of India report.
The jet, a Pilatus PC-24 (VT-APV), departed Ahmedabad at 9 am, flying over the Gulf of Khambhat and the Arabian Sea before crossing into Mumbai airspace south of the city’s busy airport. From there, it approached Navi Mumbai, circled south of the new airport, and carried out a smooth landing on runway 28 at 10:20 am. It later departed back to Ahmedabad at 12:40 pm on Sunday, this time via a land route, according to the report.
Plane Spotter Posts Video Of Touchdown
Plane spotter Sandeep Pilania captured the moment on video, which soon made its way to social media through aviation handle @hiravaero, drawing excitement from enthusiasts and industry insiders alike.
However, the airport’s most crucial milestone is yet to come, the first scheduled commercial airline service carrying fare-paying passengers. This will mark the true commissioning of Navi Mumbai International Airport and ease the burden on Mumbai’s over-capacity Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the airport and its terminal building on September 30. Following that, security clearances and operational procedures will continue for the next few months, with the first commercial flights likely very soon.
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