India will build its first offshore airport off the coast of Mumbai, a big leap in the Narendra Modi government's infrastructure revolution drive. The airport will be constructed on an artificial island off the Vadhvan seaport on India's west coast, sources quoted in a Bloomberg report said. The design of the project is likely to be on par with world-renowned offshore airports such as Hong Kong International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport, both built on artificial islands.
Initial approvals granted for Vadhvan Airport
The ambitious Vadhvan Airport project has already secured preliminary go-aheads from major government departments, such as the federal environment and defense ministries and the Maharashtra state government. A meeting last month paved the way for feasibility studies, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to have a key role in the evaluation process.
After conducting feasibility studies, the government will announce an estimated investment cost for the project. The airport will be situated around 125 kilometers away from the country's current international airport in Mumbai, and there is both an opportunity and a challenge when considering infrastructure and passenger demand.
India's infrastructure overhaul: Closing gaps in connectivity
India is rapidly expanding its infrastructure to fill a huge void in transport and logistics networks. The nation with the second-largest infrastructure shortfall globally, after Brazil, is pouring billions of dollars into the creation of highways, airports, and power plants.
The Vadhvan seaport, the country's soon-to-be-biggest and deepest, will serve as a driver of trade and connectivity. An offshore airport that is planned within close distance will facilitate overcoming the issue of land acquisition, an often-repeated hindrance to big-ticket infrastructure projects.
Challenges: Passenger traffic and feasibility
Despite the grand vision, experts have raised concerns about the economic feasibility of the project. Ensuring sufficient passenger traffic will be critical to justify the large-scale investment. While the Modi government’s push for new airports has improved regional connectivity, some newly developed airports in smaller cities have struggled to attract sufficient travelers.
Bullet train, highways, and Mumbai's new connectivity plan
As part of the future connectivity master plan of Mumbai, the Vadhvan airport will serve as the city's third big airport. The new facility will be connected to the government's vision of a high-speed rail corridor, including the planned Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train with a station within close proximity of the airport.
Two of India's biggest interstate highways—the New Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway—will also connect to the airport to ensure ease of road travel.
With the Adani Group's airport at Navi Mumbai also planned, Mumbai itself is set to be one of India's most well-connected aerial hubs. Nonetheless, mega-size projects such as the Vadhvan offshore airport take more than a decade to materialise and leave doubts hovering over the timescale and overall viability of the ambitious proposal.
Also read | Supreme Court seeks Centre’s response on obscene content on YouTube