Navi Mumbai International Airport inaugurated, but flights won’t take off until December. Here’s why

“Post inauguration, the airport will be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for a security sweep, which could take 30 to 45 days. We also need to mobilise customs and immigration teams and complete end-to-end testing, which is a 45-60-day process,” said Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airports Holdings Ltd, developer and operator of the NMIA, during a press briefing at the NMIA premises Monday.

Even though an exact date has not been announced, NMIA CEO Captain B V J K Sharma and Bansal said commercial flights are expected to begin in December 2025.

Plans of major carriers

Three major airlines—Air India, Akasa Air and IndiGo—have already signed on to shift part of their operations to NMIA.

Last month, Air India announced plans to begin with 20 daily departures (40 air traffic movements) through Air India Express, connecting 15 Indian cities in the first phase. By mid-2026, it aims to scale up to 55 daily departures, including up to five international flights.

IndiGo, which made its announcement in May, plans to operate 18 daily flights to more than 15 cities from the first day of commercial operations and intends to expand to 140 daily flights — 30 of which will be international — within 18 months.

In June, Akasa Air said it will start with 15 daily domestic flights, scaling up to over 300 domestic and 50 international flights a week within a few months.

When asked which airline will operate the first flight, Bansal said, “We want all three airlines to be there on Day 1. It depends on who has the earliest slot that day, and the destination choice lies entirely with the airlines.”

Operations to begin with 12-hour window

In the first month, flights will operate between 8 am and 8 pm, with the 12-hour window likely to be extended as operations stabilise. Although NMIA’s full capacity is 40 air traffic movements (ATMs) per hour, the initial phase will handle 10 ATMs—allowing 10 aircraft to land or take off every hour. Airlines are expected to announce routes and ticket sales soon.

Touted as an international aviation hub, NMIA positions Mumbai alongside global twin-airport cities such as London, Dubai and New York, and plans to launch both domestic and international operations from Day 1.

Concession for international carriers

When asked if international carriers will be given any concessions, Bansal said, “For international airlines, we will not charge them parking fees for the first year.”

The duo added that NMIA aims to reclaim Mumbai’s rightful place on the global aviation map. “For a decade… travellers didn’t have a choice—airlines couldn’t get additional slots (at the Mumabi airport), so traffic shifted to Delhi. We are course-correcting that with NMIA. It will not happen overnight, but over the next five–seven years, you will see the change,” said Bansal.

He noted that Mumbai currently lacks direct flights to major destinations in Europe and the US, something NMIA hopes to change.

“If you see east-to-west flights, Mumbai is a natural stop,” added Sharma.

As reported earlier, NMIA will eventually feature four terminals and two parallel runways, with a total capacity to handle up to 90 million passengers per annum (MPPA), compared to 20 MPPA in the first phase.

In the long term, the airport aims to serve as a key transfer hub between the East and the West, enabling passengers from Southeast Asia to connect seamlessly to Europe and North America.

From the homepage

Supreme Court hints at allowing green crackers in Delhi-NCR this Diwali on trial basis

Bihar’s economy needs jobs and investments, but can it afford pre-poll sops?

Gaza ceasefire goes into effect, what happens next?