When can we expect the first flight to take off from the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA)?
Actual flights can be expected from 2018, as it’ll primarily take one year to complete the Request for Qualification (RFQ) process. We have started the process of inviting tenders for hill cutting, filling of airport area, etc. Hopefully, the work will begin by October-November this year. Unlike other airports where the partner is asked to get the clearances, we will be providing a Greenfield levelled land with all sanctions in place. The construction should take three years and we can expect the first flight to take off in 2018. Phase I will have 10 million passengers per annum.

Man in charge: CIDCO MD Sanjay Bhatia talks about the issues faced by the town planning body in 2013 for the NMIA project and the future of the airport. Pic/Bipin Kokate

How many jobs is the airport expecting to generate?
About 1.25 lakh; direct and indirect employment is expected.