What was supposed to be Mumbai's answer to Delhi's swanky Terminal 3, is yet to get the necessary clearance from the concerned ministry. It's deadline was year 2012, and even in July 2010 no one knows if the project will ever see the daylight.



But Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has high hopes. In a recent press conference held in Pune he announced that he hoped to throw open the first phase of the Navi Mumbai airport by 2013. How, Mr Minister, can you set a deadline? Besides the environment clearance there are other problems too that is plaguing the project.



The new airport proposed over 2,000 hectares has been planned near Panvel, about 35 km away from the Mumbai airport.



The cost of the project, which is being developed through the public-private partnership route, was estimated at between Rs 3,200 crore (Rs 32 billion) and Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion). Though according to CIDCO, the total cost of the airport will be about Rs 9,970 crore (Rs 99.7 billion).