The aviation industry has its eyes on the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which completed its commercial flight validation test in December, as it is expected to change the future of air connectivity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Cristiano Cessato, director of London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, which designed NMIA, spoke to The Free Press Journal’s Dhairya Gajara.
Excerpts from the e-mail interview:
Q. The construction of NMIA will be executed in multiple phases. According to the design plan, what will each phase contain and by when is the construction expected to conclude?
A. NMIA will be executed in 3 phases. Terminal 1, which is currently under construction, will handle 20 million annual passengers (MAP) and will open by 2026. Terminal 2 is expected to open by 2030. This is the flagship terminal at the top end of the airport precinct and will be larger, handling 30 MAP and will have a substantial landside development. Terminal 3 will effectively be a mirror of Terminal 1.
Q. What inspired the architectural concept for NMIA, particularly the lotus-shaped terminals? And how does the design integrate Indian cultural elements while maintaining modern functionality?
A. An airport terminal is first and foremost a functional building, with the layout driven by operational requirements. The lotus flower was the basis of inspiration both for the frontage of the terminals and for the main interior columns. Throughout the building, colours, materials, textures, and patterns are drawn from the heritage of India and re-interpreted in a contemporary design language that befits a state-of-the-art airport terminal.
Q. NMIA is being constructed on a huge piece of land ranging to 1160 hectares. What is the plan to make out the most from the land?
A. Aside from the terminal itself, an airport has significant land requirements on the airside (aprons, taxiways, runways, parking stands) including ancillary facilities such as cargo, maintenance, and repair operations (MRO). Equally significant is the landside requirement, which includes transportation, parking, hotels, and other installations, which are also investment opportunities for property developers.
Q. What is the plan for the three inter-connected terminal buildings and how will they serve different purpose after being functional?
A. Each terminal will have both domestic and international facilities. As the project grows, there may be dedicated services for different airlines and alliances, and also the possible allocation of one of the smaller terminals to low-cost carriers (LCCs).
Q. The Air Traffic Control tower at NMIA is said to be the most modern ATC tower. How is it special from the perspective of its design?
A. The design of the ATC Tower reflects the overall airport architecture. Given general height restrictions at any airport due to flight operations, the ATC Tower is typically the major beacon that signals the airport’s presence from a distance. As such, it is an iconic vertical counterpoint to the horizontality of the terminal buildings. Technically, the ATC Tower is designed to the most current ATC planning requirements, including the integration of camera-based virtual ATC systems.
Q. Can you elaborate on the technological advancements integrated into the airport, such as AI-driven passenger flow optimisation?
A. In airport planning, all flows are planned in accordance with international standards, such as those defined by IATA, and client-specific requirements. At ZHA, we have an in-house AI team that focuses, amongst others, on the computational analysis and optimisation of passenger flows, in conjunction with industry-standard simulation techniques.
Q. How do you see this project influencing future airport designs and infrastructure development in India and globally?
A. Airport architecture has progressed beyond the generic glass-and-steel designs of the past 30 years: increasingly, airports are seen as true gateways to a nation and are almost always the first point of contact for visitors to a country they have never visited. With NMIA, India is set to create a benchmark for such global gateways with a contemporary, world-class airport that is nonetheless quintessentially Indian.
