Navi Mumbai Airport poised for grand opening, but experts urge caution on challenges

As Mumbai counts down to the expected inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport NMIA on October 8 midday brings you an exclusive wrap of our weeklong deep dive into the cityrsquos most ambitious aviation project While the airport promises worldclass amenities and a futuristic design experts warn that connectivity and costs could clip its wings before takeoffA weeklong look at Mumbairsquos second hubDay 1Whatrsquos coming upWe began with a detailed infographic that broke down the airportrsquos design and scale mdash the lotusshaped terminal its massive passenger capacity and its seamless transfers Cargo facilities sustainability features and comparisons with Mumbairsquos existing T1 and T2 terminals set the stage for what NMIA promises to deliverDay 2The making of NMIAFrom its first proposal in 1991 to the flattening of hills diversion of creeks and floodrisk assessments NMIA has been a project of epic proportions Environmental and engineering challenges aside planners have stressed sustainability positioning the airport as one of Indiarsquos most carefully thoughtout aviation hubsDay 3How far is too farTo put the airportrsquos location to the test midday reporters made the journey themselves One travelled by road from Terminal 2 of CSMIA the other by suburban rail from Churchgate Both journeys highlighted the real issues passengers are likely to face mdash not just travel time and effort but the cost involvedDay 4Local challengesOn the ground in Navi Mumbai we looked at lastmile connectivity and the looming danger of bird strikes In an exclusive chat NMMC Commissioner Kailash Shinde revealed plans for 50 electric buses dedicated to the airport At the same time authorities are clamping down on open meat markets to minimise bird activity mdash a known hazard for flightsDay 5Glimpses of the futureHighly placed sources confirmed that a bullet train could be part of NMIArsquos longterm connectivity plan But the present picture isnrsquot as rosy hotels and lodges around the airport are limited with the nearest proper facilities 15ndash20 minutes away mdash a gap that could inconvenience travellers and airline staff alikeDay 6Mapping the linksThe final part of our series explored the multiple modes of access planned road buses suburban rail waterways and lastmile options On paper the connectivity looks diverse but most of it is still on the drawing boardExperts raise the red flagNitin Dossa transport expert chairman of the Western India Automobile Association told middayldquoThe airport is a good oneandahalf hours away from the city While the Atal Setu sea link is meant to bridge that gap its steep toll will be a concern For many the cost of just reaching the airport may nearly equal the airfare on shorthaul flightsrdquo He added that road connectivity is another challenge ldquoSouth Mumbai bottlenecks especially around Reay Road and CSMT choke traffic during peak hours Passengers trying to transfer between T1 and NMIA can expect a long and unpredictable journeyrdquo Dossa also highlighted missing signage ldquoOnce motorists exit Atal Setu there are hardly any clear signs guiding them to the airport Instead of NMIA one could easily end up on the Pune Expressway by mistake That needs urgent fixingrdquoKVJ Rao exAir India officialExAir India official KVJ Rao added perspective on longterm planning ldquoMumbai will now have three airports if we count T1 and T2 at CSMIA separately But beyond road and suburban rail all other connectivity modes are just promises that will take years Only when these come online will we know if NMIA can handle passenger traffic effectivelyrdquoJagdeep Desai architect and urban plannerArchitect and urban planner Jagdeep Desai raised broader concernsldquoAt this stage there are more questions than answers Which flights will operate here Will corporate jets use it or will ordinary citizens alone bear the burden of travelling to NMIA paying the Atal Setu toll to save half an hourrdquo He questioned the airportrsquos financial viability ldquoAfter spending thousands of crores will it recover costs If airline charges are higher than at Sahar why would they shift operations hererdquo Desai noted the airportrsquos delayed launch ldquoNo operator wanted a rival airport so close to CSMIA which is why the project was given to the same group mdash earlier GVK now Adani This could also affect Punersquos second airport as a fourth airport within 200 km may not be economically feasiblerdquo He recommended affordable frequent bus transfers ldquoAt least they should provide costeffective shuttle services from multiple pickup and drop locations to reduce dependency on private vehiclesrdquo