Maharashtra Budget 2025: Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, during the Maharashtra Budget 2025 speech on Monday, revealed plans to develop a third airport in Mumbai. The ambitious project will be located near the Vadhvan port in Palghar district, marking a major infrastructure boost for the state. The proposed airport is slated to become operational by 2030.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar further stated during his budget presentation that a Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train station also will be near Vadhvan port.
Vadhvan Port, the proposed deep seaport in Palghar district, will see the state contributing 26 per cent of the total project cost, said Ajit Pawar while announcing plans for the third Mumbai airport as part of the port’s development.
Ajit Pawar also announced that the Shirdi airport will soon be equipped with a ‘night landing facility’.
The decision to establish a new airport comes as a response to the increasing air traffic demands in Mumbai. The city’s existing airports, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), are expected to reach their capacity limits in the coming years.
Ajit Pawar further unveiled plans to build a metro that would link Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport with Navi Mumbai International Airport.
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is a bustling aviation hub, handling approximately 482 flights daily. As the second busiest airport in India, it serves a substantial number of passengers, with over 50 million annually.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has two terminals: Terminal 1, primarily for domestic flights, and Terminal 2, which caters to both domestic and international operations.
CSMIA links Mumbai to 113 destinations worldwide via 54 airlines, making it a pivotal gateway for both domestic and international travel.
Mumbai airport’s infrastructure is managed by Mumbai International Airport Limited, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and the Airports Authority of India.
Navi Mumbai International Airport
Navi Mumbai International Airport, located in the Raigad district, is set to become a key aviation hub. Developed by the Adani Group in collaboration with CIDCO, it will feature three interconnected terminals and two parallel runways.
Once fully operational, it is poised to handle up to 90 million passengers annually, significantly alleviating congestion at Mumbai airport. The first phase is expected to commence operations in May 2025, initially catering to 20 million passengers per year.
Ajit Pawar presents Maharashtra Budget for 11th time
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented the State Budget for 2025-26 in the state assembly on March 10.
This made Ajit Pawar the finance minister who presented the highest number of budgets (11) after Sheshrao Wankhede, who presented the budget 13 times. Ajit Pawar is followed by Jayant Patil (10 times) and Sushilkumar Shinde (9 times), as per a government press release.
