MUMBAI: Over eight decades after the then British India commissioned the ‘Royal Air Force Santacruz’ airfield, now known as Mumbai airport, the city witnessed the inauguration of a brand-new runway when an IAF fixed-wing aircraft in a trial operation touched down at Navi Mumbai airport Friday.
The IAF Airbus C-295, a tactical airlifter, touched down at 12.15pm on Navi Mumbai’s runway 26.“Unlike airline jets like an A320 or B737, the C-295 can land even on unpaved runways, and so today’s landing, though it was on the paved Navi Mumbai runway, has largely a ceremonial significance,” said a senior pilot.
At the Mumbai ATC, IAF officials along with civilian controllers guided the inaugural landing at Navi Mumbai, which was carried out by Group Captain P S Negi and Squadron Leader Manpreet Singh. Later, a Sukhoi Su-30 did a low flypast over runway 08-26.