Department of Posts issues two postage stamps of CSI Airport Mumbai to commemorate 75 years of operations

The event was organized specifically to honour the memory of the Late Mr. JRD Tata, who on October 15, 1932, piloted the first flight of Tata Air Services from Karachi to Mumbai via Ahmedabad carrying airmail. 

The erstwhile Royal Air Force commenced its operations in 1942 from Santacruz, a military airfield.  Post independence, the airfield was transferred to the Indian Government for civilian use and came to be known as Santacruz airport.  The hangars of Royal Air Force Santacruz were converted into terminals for passenger traffic, one hangar was used as a domestic terminal and the other as an international terminal.  With the passage of time the passenger traffic increased and so did the need for the systematic development of the airport.

In 2006, under a Public-Private-Partnership initiative, the operations of the airport were entrusted to the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd. (MIAL), a joint venture between the GVK led consortium and the Airports Authority of India. In addition to refurbishing the existing terminals and improving airside infrastructure, MIAL made significant improvements to the aesthetics and passenger convenience with the creation of the state-of-the-art Terminal 2, setting new benchmarks in service quality and efficiency.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. GVK Reddy, Executive Chairman, MIAL said, “It is a matter of great pride and honour for us at GVK to have been involved in a part of the Mumbai Airport’s incredible journey of 75 years. We ventured into the aviation sector in 2006 when we were given the mandate to operate, manage and develop the Mumbai Airport, and set about our task of transforming the airport into a world-class facility. While facing innumerable challenges we have been able to accomplish our vision of creating an edifice worthy of being the pride of Mumbai and India.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) is one of the city’s most prominent structures, and a landmark monument that contributes to the distinct identity of Mumbai and the country at large.

In addition to refurbishing the existing terminals and improving airside infrastructure, GVK MIAL made significant improvements to aesthetics and passenger convenience through Terminal 2, setting a new benchmark in service quality and efficiency.

The airport was conceptualized as a structure that resounded with the richness of Indian culture and traditions. As much as it showcased Indian beauty to the world, the building was inherently designed to bring Indians closer to their own heritage. The terminal design draws inspiration from the national bird, the peacock, with the motif of the peacock feather incorporated into several aspects of the architecture. The terminal also houses ‘Jaya He’, the country’s largest public art programme, which brings together artwork from every corner of India for travellers to witness in one monumental installation. True to the national anthem, ‘Jaya He’ aspires to bring glory to the nation and its multifaceted beauty.

Today, the Mumbai Airport holds the honour of being the world’s busiest single runway airport, catering to over 45 million passengers annually, and connecting the city to over 99 domestic and international destinations. The airport’s tremendous growth is apparent when the most recent figures of 45.2 million passengers transiting annually, and 867 average daily flights movements are juxtaposed with 22 million annual passengers and 584 average daily flight movements recorded in the year 2007. This quantum leap in performance is further exemplified by the fact that CSIA is the only airport in the world that handled 935 flight movements on a single runway on a given day.

CSIA is one amongst the three airports in the world, to be inducted into the Airport Council International (ACI) Director General’s Roll of Excellence in 2015, for consistently being ranked amongst the top five airports in its category by ACI under the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program for five years (2009 to 2014). CSIA was also rated as the ‘World’s Best Airport’ in the 25 – 40 million passengers per annum category by ACI in the Airport Service Quality Award 2015. It was also recognized at the Skytrax Awards 2017 for ‘Best Airport Staff Service’, showcasing its superlative service and passenger experience.