Tough to meet 2019 deadline for Navi Mumbai airport: Civil Aviation Ministry

The civil aviation ministry on Thursday it is "tough" to meet the 2019 deadline for starting operations at the much-awaited Navi Mumbai airport. It can be noted that state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly been saying that the work on the first phase of the Rs 16,700-crore Navi Mumbai International airport will be completed by the end of 2019. "I am happy to say that the work is going on schedule. It would be tough for us to do (to meet the 2019 deadline) that, but we will try. However, it will be tough," civil aviation secretary RN Choubey told reporters at the sixth US-India aviation summit here today.