Mumbai, Apr 23 (PTI) Adani Group-owned Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is likely to handle 50,000 passengers daily, with an estimated 380 flights every day by the end of this year, according to sources.
The airport was set to start international operations from the current summer schedule, but it has been deferred due to the ongoing war in the Gulf region, they added.
The Greenfield Airport, which began commercial operations with domestic flight on December 25 last year, currently handles 20,000 passengers per day with an average of 150 air traffic movements (ATMs).
"We have already touched 20,000 passengers per day. What I foresee, from December, (we will be handling) about 50,000 passengers, while the number of ATMs is also expected to reach about 380 on average by that time. And the way we are pushing, probably we will do more because the traffic that is forthcoming has surprised us also, with a lot of commitment from IndiGo coming in," the sources said.
IndiGo operations currently account for 70 per cent of the airport's total daily flights, which is now going up to 80 per cent, one of the sources said, adding that "if Indigo does change their business model, they will bring in a lot of traffic to the greenfield facility".
NMIA is seeing "commitment" on international operations from IndiGo, and the facility is set to start international flight services with about 16 arrivals and departures each, according to the source.
"But that has been deferred now because of the situation in the Gulf region. And during this, some airlines have even approached for long haul," he said, but declined to give a definite timeline on the launch until the war continues.
The source also said that the international airlines have "certain issues" on bringing wide-body aircraft, and discussions with them are ongoing, though nothing has been finalised. PTI IAS BAL
BAL
