Vadhvan Offshore Airport: Work to Begin in 2026

Mumbai Jul 11 (PTI) The work on the country's first offshore Vadhvan Airport near the financial capital is likely to commence from next year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday.

Speaking as the chief guest at the Western Region Ministers' Conference of Civil Aviation here, Fadnavis also said his government has already appointed an agency to prepare a detailed project report (DPR).

"I am hoping that we are able to begin the work on Vadhvan offshore airport in 2026," the chief minister said.

It will be the country's first and the third one in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, he added.

Currently, Mumbai has one airport to cater to the air travel demand of the MMR region, while the second airport at Navi Mumbai, being developed by Adani Group, is expected to be functional soon.

"We've appointed an agency to work on the Detailed Project Report (DPR)," Fadnavis said.

"When we can reclaim land and build an offshore port on Vadhvan, why not build an offshore airport as well?" Fadnavis said, referring to the Rs 76,000 crore greenfield port project at Vadhvan in the Palghar district of the state.

Speaking about work on the second airport for Pune in Purandar, Fadnavis said the state government will complete land acquisition in 4-5 months.

The chief minister said that out of the 36 districts in Maharashtra, as many as 24 districts have either an airport or an airstrip.

The plan is to take it gradually to 30, he said, adding that the state government is trying to upgrade the airstrips.

When an airport is developed at a place, it always attracts investment, and that leads to the economic growth of that particular area, Fadnavis stated.