India, Feb. 21 -- The Maharashtra government has taken its first steps towards building a third airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) at Vadhavan, where one of the biggest ports on India's west coast is being constructed.

The state government-run Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) on Thursday began a pre-feasibility study for the development of a greenfield airport in the Palghar district. 'Greenfield' is a term used to describe land that has not previously been developed. The state government is also planning to build a new city around the proposed airport in Palghar.

"The consultants will tell us what is feasible in the Vadhavan area," said Swati Pandey, managing director of MADC. "This is a first step by the go...