Navi Mumbai Airport Opens Today: Routes, Flights, Passenger Services & More | In Stunning PICS

Navi Mumbai Airport began commercial flight operations, opening a second aviation gateway for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region after years of missed deadlines. The new facility is expected to emerge as one of the busiest aviation hub in the country.

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Navi Mumbai Airport Opens Today

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) began commercial flight operations on Thursday, opening a second aviation gateway for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region after years of missed deadlines. The new facility is expected to emerge as one of the busiest and a significant aviation hub in the country.

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PM Modi inaugurated Navi Mumbai airport

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8 this year. The first phase of the five-phased airport was built at Rs 19,650 crore.

By the time all five phases of the airport are completed, it will be catering to 90 million passengers annually, along with dedicated cargo terminals and multimodal connectivity.

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Airlines operating from Navi Mumbai International Airport

Commercial operations will see four airlines operating domestic services from NMIA. These include IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air, an NMIA spokesperson said.

People familiar with the matter said IndiGo will be the dominant operator across most routes, while Akasa Air will operate services to Ahmedabad, Goa, Kochi and Delhi. Air India Express will operate flights to Bengaluru and Delhi, and Star Air will operate flights to Goa.

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Destinations & Routes

NMIA will be connected to nine domestic destinations, including Hyderabad, Goa and Bengaluru.

Routes to Delhi will see the highest activity, with a total of three daily flights operated by IndiGo, Air India Express and Akasa Air, the people said. In the initial phase, the airport is expected to operate up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations, with the capability to manage up to 10 aircraft movements per hour, according to an NMIA statement.

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Passenger services

Passenger services from day one will include Digi Yatra-enabled contactless processing at designated touchpoints.

“Passenger services from day one will be supported by Digi Yatra-enabled contactless processing at designated touchpoints, along with trained terminal staff across kerbside, check-in, security and boarding areas,” the spokesperson said. Conventional check-in counters will also be available for passengers not opting for Digi Yatra.

Retail and food and beverage offerings have been curated with a focus on affordability and local preferences, the airport said.

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Airport size

Built as a greenfield airport by Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL) under a publicprivate partnership, the project is owned 74% by Adani Airports Holdings, with the remaining 26% held by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO).

Spanning over 1,160 hectares (2,866 acres), NMIA is designed to handle 90 million passengers per annum on completion. The airport will eventually feature two parallel runways, terminal buildings and advanced cargo facilities.

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Future capacity

In the initial phase, NMIA opens with Terminal 1 and one operational runway, with the capacity to handle 20 million passengers per annum and 0.5 million metric tonnes of cargo annually. The terminal is expected to reach its declared passenger capacity before mid-2026 and can accommodate an additional 2–3 million passengers beyond that level.

The airport is located around 45–50 km from North Mumbai, 35–40 km from South Mumbai, and 35–45 km from the eastern suburbs.

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Today's flight schedile

Thursday’s launch will see around 30 domestic flights, split equally between arrivals and departures.

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Navi Mumbai airport

Envisioned as part of a dual-airport system for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), NMIA will complement Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). With an initial capacity of 20 million passengers per annum (MPPA), the airport will eventually expand to manage 90 MPPA, making it one of the largest passenger-handling airports in India.

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Future aspirations

Inspired by the Lotus, India’s national flower, NMIA’s architecture blends cultural heritage with world-class design and sustainability features, creating an airport that is both rooted in Indian identity and aligned with future aspirations.