In order to pave the way for the construction of the proposed new integrated terminal at Sahar, Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL) has commenced the demolition of the existing international terminal 2A at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA).

One of the world’s fastest and biggest Demolition Crusher machine has been deployed to demolish the building. This high-capacity machine that reaches a maximum height of 27m (90 ft approx.) has a number of features including an inbuilt water sprinkler arrangement to keep in check the dust resulting from the demolition. The overall plan for the demolition of this terminal includes razing it to the ground beginning from one end of the building to the other end. The entire demolition is expected to take three months.

This demolition signifies the unique challenges of the modernization of India’s busiest airport. CSIA being a constrained airport having less than 1000 acres of land for operational purpose, there is no vacant land available for building a new terminal building. Hence MIAL will demolish the existing international terminal in phases and build the new terminal.

While the international terminal at Sahar is divided into Terminals 2A, 2B and 2C, until May 2008, Terminal 2A and Terminal 2C were handling international flights of 46 airlines. Terminal 2B, which has been in an unused state, was completely refurbished and airlines operating from 2A were shifted to 2B to ensure that passengers get a better travel experience even during the construction phase. The new terminal which is expected to be completed by 2013 will cater to both domestic and international passengers.