Mumbai (PTI): The Navi Mumbai International Airport commenced commercial flight operations on Thursday, marking a key milestone for India's civil aviation sector, while expanding air travel capacity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) began operations, with the first flight from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo, touching down the runway at 8 am.

The aircraft was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute on arrival, a time-honoured aviation tradition marking NMIA's first commercial touchdown and departure, the airport operator said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Chitradurga: Private sleeper bus catches fire after truck crosses divider; at least 17 burnt alive

The inaugural arrival was followed by the airport's first departure IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad at 08:40 am, completing NMIA's inaugural arrival and departure cycle, it said.

On the first day, IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air will operate domestic services, connecting the new facility to nine destinations across India.

The airport will handle 15 scheduled departures on the first day, it said, adding that during the initial phase, the facility will operate for 12 hours -- between 8 am and 8 pm, with up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations and the capability to manage up to 10 aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) per hour, it added.

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8 this year.

The first phase of the five-phased airport was built at Rs 19,650 crore.

By the time all five phases of the airport are completed, it will be catering to 90 million passengers annually, along with dedicated cargo terminals and multimodal connectivity.

The entire project is being developed in multiple phases under a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), in which the Adani Group has a 74 per cent stake, and the remaining 26 per cent is owned by CIDCO.

From February next year, operations are planned to progressively scale up to round-the-clock services.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru (PTI): A day after a video of a man seen in a disoriented state went viral on social media with claims that he was under the influence of a so-called “zombie drug”, police on Friday arrested a 29-year-old employee of a private firm here for uploading the “misleading” video.

Hemanth, a resident of Vidyaranyapura, was issued a notice to join the inquiry, police said.

Learning that the police were looking for him, he posted an apology on social media. He was later taken into custody, a senior police officer said.

A case has been registered against him under Sections 353(2), relating to statements conducing to public mischief, including spreading false information or rumours that could incite public disorder, and Section 352, dealing with intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, among others, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police added.

After Hemanth uploaded the video, it quickly went viral on Thursday.

Later, police clarified that the man shown in a disoriented state in the video had not consumed any narcotic or psychotropic substance.

He was subjected to a medical examination, and the report confirmed that there was no trace of narcotic substances, Bengaluru police said.

The police also urged the public not to spread unverified or misleading information on social media platforms, as such content can create unnecessary panic and harm individuals’ reputations.

The footage, which circulated widely on social media, showed the man standing motionless. People claimed he might be under the influence of a synthetic “zombie drug” and raised concerns about its availability in the city.

An inquiry revealed that the individual seen in the video had come to Bengaluru in search of a livelihood and had been residing there for the past three months, police said, adding that further investigation is ongoing.

The police warned that strict action will be taken against persons found spreading false information or rumours.