Navi Mumbai: The much awaited inaugural take-off and landing of aircraft on the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is all set to be conducted on October 11. The inaugural ceremony is to be held between 3 and 4 pm.
For the trial run of the newly built air strip, a C 295 defense transport aircraft from Gandhinagar and Sukoi MK 30 fighter aircraft from Pune are being specially flown in. "The event is a milestone wherein the landing capacity of the newly built airport will be highlighted. The protocols to be followed for landing defense aircrafts like the C295 is not much as compared to commercial flights. The Sukoi MK 30 fighter aircraft will fly just past the air strip and will demonstrate the landing capabilities of the air strip," said the Managing Director Vijay Singhal. The inaugural ceremony is happening just a month after the Airport Authority of India (AAI) completed the Instrument Landing System (ILS) testing at the airport.
The long awaited inaugural ceremony and the possibility of the airport witnessing its first landing and take off was made official by the newly appointed Chairman of CIDCO Sanjay Shirsat. Initially the inauguration was to coincide with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 5.
"For technical reasons the event was postponed. Nevertheless the event will be presided by the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister one and two. We are also in talks with the state minister of civil aviation as well as the central minister who is being requested to grace the occasion," said an official from CIDCO.
