1st trial flight at Navi Mum airport on Oct 31

After much delay and deadline extensions, the first aircraft at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will land on October 31, albeit on a trial basis.

- Bhalchandra Chorghade

• The airport will be fully operational next year

The aircraft will travel after the commissioning of the Instrument Landing System (ILS), which is part of calibrating flight path to ensure operational readiness of the airport.

Sources close to the development said that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) conducted ILS testing last month but could not finish it in the wake of inclement weather conditions. They said, "They plan to conduct the testing again from August 12. Once the testing is done, the pathway is calibrated and the report is submitted, further process would be carried out as a lot of tests and permissions need to be taken before making the runway operational."