Nitin Gadkari moots 10,000 water taxis to connect suburbs with Navi Mumbai airport

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Tuesday that he has discussed a proposal to introduce 10,000 water taxis to ferry commuters from the distant suburbs of Mumbai to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. Speaking at the ICERP (International Conference & Exhibition on Reinforced Plastics) 2025 exhibition, Gadkari mentioned that he had already consulted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the plan.

The proposed water taxis would transport passengers from suburbs such as Virar, located along the Arabian Sea to the north of Mumbai, and Kalyan-Dombivli in the northeast along Thane Creek, to the new airport in just 70 minutes, news agency PTI reported. "Taking from all sides of Mumbai, from Vasai-Virar to Kalyan-Dombivli, it [water taxis] can connect to the new airport in 70 minutes. Already I have discussed the proposal with the CM. We need 10,000 water taxis in Mumbai," Gadkari stated.

Passenger flights from the Navi Mumbai airport are expected to begin in April, with plans underway to integrate it with the metro rail system for better passenger connectivity, PTI reported. Gadkari also proposed that all 10,000 water taxis be constructed using fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), a cutting-edge material with significant relevance in the shipping industry. He urged manufacturers to work on reducing the cost of FRP.

The Navi Mumbai International Airport is slated for inauguration on April 17, and is expected to become fully operational by mid-May. Initially, it will handle around 20 to 30 air traffic movements per hour and accommodate approximately 20 million (200 lakh) passengers annually. The first commercial aircraft had landed at the airport on December 29, 2024, marking a key milestone in its operational process. "We now need to secure an aerodrome licence from the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), and the airport will be inaugurated on April 17. Following the inauguration, we will require a four-week period for security checks and documentation before the airport becomes fully operational," said Arun Bansal, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL).

Domestic operations at Navi Mumbai airport are expected to begin in the second half of May 2025. Bansal added that discussions are ongoing with both domestic and international airlines.

Due to capacity constraints at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, which operates with a single runway and handles around 50 million passengers annually, airlines are eager to shift some operations to the new Navi Mumbai airport to accommodate growing passenger traffic.

(With PTI inputs)