Maharashtra Budget 2025: Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar revealed plans to develop a third airport for Mumbai in his speech on Monday at Maharashtra Budget 2025. This ambitious project will be located near the port of Wadwan in the Pargar district, marking a major infrastructure improvement in the state. The proposed airport is scheduled to begin operations by 2030.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar further announced the proposal of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train station, which will be near the port of Wadwan.
Ajit Pawar said Vadhvan Port, a proposed deep-sea port in the Palgar region, will see the state account for 26% of the total project cost.
Ajit Pawar also announced that Shirdi Airport will soon be equipped with “night travel facilities”.
The decision to establish a new airport was a response to the growing demand for air traffic in Mumbai. The city’s existing airports, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), are currently under construction and are expected to reach their capacity limits in the coming years.
Ajit Pawar further unveiled the plan to establish a subway linking Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport with Navi Mumbai International Airport.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai is a bustling aviation hub that handles about 482 flights per day. As India’s second busiest airport, it serves a large number of passengers, with over 50 million a year.
Mumbai Airport is operated by two terminals: Terminal 1, mainly used for domestic flights, and Terminal 2, which are suitable for domestic and international operations.
CSMIA connects Mumbai with 113 destinations worldwide through 54 airlines, making it a key portal for travel at home and abroad.
The infrastructure of Mumbai Airport is managed by Mumbai International Airport Limited, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and the Airport Authority of India.
Navi Mumbai International Airport
Navi Mumbai International Airport, located in the Raigad district, will become a key aviation hub. Developed by Adani Group in partnership with CIDCO, it will have three interconnected terminals and two parallel runways.
Once fully operational, it will handle up to 90 million passengers per year, greatly reducing traffic congestion at Mumbai Airport. The first phase is expected to begin operations in May 2025, initially catering to 20 million passengers per year.
Ajit Pawar offers 11th Maharashtra Budget
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar held the 2025-26 national budget in the state parliament today on March 10.
This led Finance Minister Ajit Pawar to propose the highest budget (11), who proposed 13 budgets at Sheshrao Wankhede. Ajit Pawar will score the second highest record with 11 times, followed by Jayant Patil (10 times) and Sushilkumar Shinde (9 times), the press release further mentioned.
