Navi Mumbai International Airport Achieves Major Milestone With First Commercial Flight Validation Test

The Navi Mumbai International Airport on Sunday (29 December) conducted its first commercial flight validation test.

The validation test took place on runway 08/26, where an Indigo Airlines A320 aircraft successfully landed, marking a significant milestone in the airport’s journey to becoming a fully operational international airport.

A traditional water salute, performed by two Crash Fire Tenders (CFT) of NMIA, greeted the aircraft.

Senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Customs, Immigration, CISF, CIDCO, IMD, BCAS, Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), and other key stakeholders were present to witness the event.

“This is a momentous day for Navi Mumbai International Airport. The successful completion of the validation flight is a major milestone, and we are now one step closer to operationalising the airport, prioritising safety at every step. We are grateful to the DGCA and all the agencies involved in making the validation flight trial successful. NMIA will not only offer world-class aviation facilities, it will also enable the overall development of the region,” said Arun Bansal, chief executive officer, Adani Airport Holdings Limited, Economic Times reported.

The aircraft’s touchdown validates and establishes the synchronised functioning of Instrument Approach Procedures at NMIA.

The exercise involved technical evaluations and landing and take-off manoeuvres, setting the stage for the DGCA to assess the collected data and for NMIA to receive the aerodrome license, which is essential to operate the airport.

Following this, NMIA’s established flight procedures will be published in the Electronic Aeronautical Information Publication (eAIP) for global promulgation.

Before the landing, NMIA successfully conducted the flight calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI), subsequently drafting instrument approach procedures to prepare itself for the arrival of the validation flight.

On 11 October 2024, the airport marked a key milestone with the inaugural landing of an Indian Air Force C-295, a versatile multi-role tactical airlifter.

It represented a milestone in the development of the greenfield international airport, which is scheduled to be operational in early 2025.

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