More In line: State govt plans to link airports old and new

The state government plans to connect the old airport in the city with the proposed international airport in Navi Mumbai.

An official said the government plans to extend the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd line across the creek to connect it to the proposed airport at Navi Mumbai.

With a link connecting Bandra to the airport also being planned, this could eventually help connect the two airports.

The official said work on the Metro in Navi Mumbai could be executed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), which is the planning body for Navi Mumbai. However, this may not be concurrent with work on the Charkop-Bandra- Mankhurd route.

The Centre had recently cleared the environment and coastal regulation zone hurdles in the set-up of the proposed 2,100-hectare greenfield Navi Mumbai international airport, to be located between Kharghar and Panvel. The state has planned an implementation timeframe of the already delayed project, with basic services to be inaugurated in late 2013.