Mumbai, July 15, 2025 – Maharashtra is getting ready to build India’s first offshore airport near the upcoming Vadhavan Port. This will be the city’s third airport, and work is set to start in 2026, according to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The project is a big step for the region, aiming to ease the pressure on Mumbai’s crowded airports and boost trade.
The Vadhavan Port, located in Palghar district, is already under construction and will be India’s first offshore port built on an artificial island. The port’s groundbreaking happened on August 30, 2024, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is expected to cost around 76,220 crore rupees (about 9 billion US dollars) and will handle large container ships. Now, plans are in place to add an airport next to it, creating a hub that connects sea, air, and land transport.
This idea comes from looking at airports like Japan’s Kansai International Airport. Kansai opened in 1994 on a man-made island in Osaka Bay and serves millions of passengers each year. But it has faced problems. The airport was built on soft clay, which caused it to sink 12 meters in its first eight years. Even now, as of June 2024, the second island sinks 21 centimeters per year, and the first sinks 10 centimeters per year. To fix this, the airport has spent over 150 million dollars on seawalls and raising equipment to avoid flooding. Experts say Maharashtra will need to study this closely to avoid similar issues.
The new airport is part of the PM Gati Shakti plan, a government program to improve transport links across India. This plan brings together different departments to make sure projects like roads, railways, and ports work together smoothly. The Vadhavan hub could handle 300 million tonnes of goods each year, making it a strong competitor to ports like Singapore. With Mumbai running out of space for new airports on land, building one offshore seems like a smart move.
However, there are challenges ahead. The area gets heavy rains during the monsoon season, which could cause flooding. Also, building on reclaimed land needs strong foundations to stop sinking, as seen in Japan. Some people worry about the cost, with one X user comparing it to the expensive bullet train project. Others think it could create jobs and push Mumbai into the global spotlight.
The government has not shared full details yet, but the plan is to make the airport similar to places like Hong Kong’s airport, also built on reclaimed land. Engineers will need to monitor the ground closely and plan for emergencies like storms. If done right, this could be a game-changer for Mumbai’s growth. More updates are expected as the 2026 start date gets closer.
