CIDCO Appoints RITES–Creative Group JV as a Consultant for Techno-Commercial Feasibility Study of Third Runway at Navi Mumbai International Airport
· Free Press Journal
In view of the rapidly growing air traffic demand in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), CIDCO has appointed a Joint Venture (JV) of RITES Limited and Creative Group LLP as a consultant to undertake a Techno-Commercial Feasibility Study for the development of a third runway at Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The study is expected to be completed within a period of six months.
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On 15th April 2026, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Vijay Singhal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, CIDCO, to deliberate on key aspects of the Techno-Commercial Feasibility Study. Smt. Geetha Pillai, CGM (T&A), CIDCO; Smt. Bindhu Murlidharan, Additional Chief Transportation Engineer, CIDCO; Anil Aswani, General Manager, Airport Division, RITES Ltd. and Gurpreet Singh Shah, Managing Director & Partner, Creative Group LLP, were also present at the meeting.
“Navi Mumbai International Airport has been envisioned as a world-class aviation hub to meet the long-term needs of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. With air traffic expected to grow significantly in the coming decades, it is imperative to plan ahead. The appointment of the consultant for this feasibility study reflects CIDCO’s proactive approach towards future-ready infrastructure. The proposed third runway will be a crucial step in enhancing capacity, efficiency, and positioning NMIA as a key global gateway.”
Vijay Singhal
Vice Chairman & Managing Director, CIDCO
NMIA, the second international airport serving the MMR, has commenced operations as part of a dual-airport system alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Conceived as a major national gateway, NMIA is one of India’s largest Greenfield international airports, designed to handle 90 million passengers per annum (MPPA) and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo annually upon full development.
Spread across approximately 1,160 hectares, the airport is planned with two parallel and independent runways to enable simultaneous operations, along with four terminals, to be developed in phases over the next decade.
With the MMR’s population exceeding 20 million, future air traffic demand is projected to reach 150 MPPA by 2040, to be jointly handled by CSMIA (60 MPPA capacity) and NMIA (90 MPPA capacity). However, long-term projections indicate a potential surge to 240 MPPA by 2047–2050. While a third airport is proposed at Vadhavan, CIDCO is proactively exploring expansion opportunities at NMIA to accommodate this anticipated growth.
RITES Limited, a Navratna and Schedule ‘A’ Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, brings extensive expertise in transportation and infrastructure consultancy. Established in 1974, the organization has significant experience in Greenfield airport planning, including services such as site selection, traffic demand assessment, environmental impact studies, and design of airport infrastructure and systems.
The feasibility study will comprehensively assess the technical, operational, environmental, and financial viability of adding a third runway at NMIA, thereby strengthening the region’s aviation infrastructure and long-term capacity.