MUMBAI, Oct. 21 -- The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has cleared a fifth phase for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in a meeting held on October 6. The minutes of the meeting were released on October 17. According to the minutes, the airport project is being implemented in multiple phases, based on projected future air traffic demand, and the planning and execution of these phases are in accordance with the 2021 environmental and CRZ clearances. Phases 1 and 2, with a passenger-handling capacity of 20 million passengers and 0.57 million metric tonnes of cargo per annum, are complete. ICF Consulting (India) Private Limited, a consultant appointed by the Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), prepared a fresh air traffic forecast study of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and NMIA in 2024-2025. This study indicated that if NMIA was limited to its current capacity of 60 million passengers per annum (MPPA), Mumbai city and MMR would face an airport capacity deficit of at least 30 MPPA to 68 MPPA in the next 15 years, further increasing to 75 MPPA to 142 MPPA by 2050. NMIAL then decided to explore all possibilities of enhancing the airport capacity to avoid the deficit and also defer the need for development of a third airport in the near future. It therefore updated the NMIA masterplan. The passenger-handling capacity is now proposed to be increased from 60 MPPA to 90 MPPA and cargo-handling capacity from 1.5 MMTA to 2.25 MMTA. An additional airport development phase has also been added to the original four phases of airport development. As for the environmental implications, the minutes state that due to reclamation and filling activities, no mangroves were present on the site in 2024. The current proposal to enhance the airport capacity will not result in any significant additional environmental impacts, the minutes claim, except for the increased requirement of resources during operations. These additional requirements have been duly addressed through sustainable design interventions, ensuring continued compliance with environmental safeguards. The proposed enhancement of the airport's capacity is within the existing 1,160 hectares of the airport area. The MCZMA minutes say that forest clearance, National Board for Wildlife approval, and high court approval for mangrove-cutting have been obtained. They add that the airport is in the public interest, and its capacity enhancement is a necessity; thus, MCZMA has approved more phases. When contacted, the NMIA spokesperson did not comment or respond to messages and mails....