Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 8 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, built at a cost of around Rs 19,650 crore.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Governor Acharya Devvrat, and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were also present at the occasion.

The Navi Mumbai International Airport is India's largest Greenfield airport project, developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). As the second international airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, NMIA will work in tandem with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to ease congestion and elevate Mumbai into the league of global multi-airport systems.

The airport, which has an area of 1160 hectares and is designed to be among the most efficient in the world, will eventually handle 90 million passengers annually (MPPA) and 3.25 million metric tonnes of cargo.

Among its unique offerings is an Automated People Mover (APM), a transit system planned to connect all four passenger terminals for smooth inter-terminal transfers, as well as a landside APM linking the city-side infrastructure. In line with sustainable practices, the airport will feature dedicated storage for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), solar power generation of approximately 47 MW, and EV bus services for public connectivity across the city. NMIA will also be the first airport in the country to be connected by water taxi.

Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate Phase 2B of the Mumbai Metro Line-3, stretching from Acharya Atre Chowk to Cuffe Parade, constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 12,200 crore. With this, he will dedicate the entire Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) to the nation with a total cost of over Rs 37,270 crore, marking a major milestone in the city's urban transport transformation.

As Mumbai's first and only fully underground metro line, this project is set to redefine commuting across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), offering a faster, more efficient, and modern transit solution for millions of residents.

The Mumbai Metro Line 3, spanning 33.5 km from Cuffe Parade to Aarey JVLR with 27 stations, will cater to 13 lakh passengers daily. The final Phase 2B of the project will provide seamless connectivity to South Mumbai's heritage and cultural districts, such as Fort, Kala Ghoda, and Marine Drive, along with direct access to key administrative and financial hubs, including the Bombay High Court, Mantralaya, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), and Nariman Point.

The Metro Line-3 has been designed to ensure efficient integration with other modes of transport, including railways, airports, other metro lines, and monorail services, thereby enhancing last-mile connectivity and reducing congestion across the metropolitan region.

The Prime Minister will also launch 'Mumbai One'--an integrated common mobility app for 11 public transport operators (PTO) across metro, monorail, suburban railway and bus PTOs.

These include Mumbai Metro Lines 2A and 7, Mumbai Metro Line 3, Mumbai Metro Line 1, Mumbai Monorail, Navi Mumbai Metro, Mumbai Suburban Railway, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), Thane Municipal Transport, Mira Bhayander Municipal Transport, Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Transport and Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport.

Mumbai One App offers commuters a range of benefits, including integrated mobile ticketing across multiple public transport operators, elimination of queuing by promoting digital transactions, and seamless multimodal connectivity through a single dynamic ticket for trips involving multiple transport modes.

It also provides real-time journey updates on delays, alternative routes, and estimated arrival times, along with map-based information on nearby stations, attractions, and points of interest, and an SOS feature to ensure commuter safety. Together, these features enhance convenience, efficiency, and security, transforming the public transportation experience across Mumbai.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Short-Term Employability Program (STEP), a pioneering initiative by the Department of Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation in Maharashtra. The programme will be rolled out across 400 government ITIs and 150 government technical high schools, marking a major step in aligning skill development with industry requirements to enhance employability.

STEP will establish 2,500 new training batches, including 364 exclusive batches for women and 408 batches in emerging technology courses such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Electric Vehicles (EV), Solar, and Additive Manufacturing, etc. (ANI)