PM Modi to inaugurate Navi Mumbai airport, final phase of Metro-3 on Oct 8, 9

With the inauguration of the final phase of Metro-3, the 33.5 km Colaba–Bandra–SEEPZ Metro-3 line will become fully operational.

The first phase (Aarey to BKC) was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in October 2024, followed by the second phase (BKC to Acharya Atre Road/Worli Naka) in May 2025.

On October 8, Modi will inaugurate the final stretch from Acharya Atre Road to Cuffe Parade, completing the corridor.

The Prime Minister will also launch the first phase of Metro Line-2B, connecting Mandale to Chembur (Diamond Garden), giving a further boost to Mumbai’s east-west connectivity.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government has formally proposed naming the Navi Mumbai International Airport after social activist D B Patil, a demand that has received a positive response from the Centre.

Fadnavis also pressed for the transfer of 58 acres of land in Dahisar (East), owned by the Airports Authority of India, to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Initially marked for a metro car shed, the land has remained underutilised due to the presence of an HF Receiving Station.

Handing it to the BMC, Fadnavis said that the area would be opened for public use and urban development, while addressing height restriction challenges.

Navi Mumbai International Airport is being developed as a greenfield airport through a joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Ltd. (74%) and CIDCO (26%) under the company Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd.

Its first phase is being built to handle about 20 million passengers annually and 0.5 million metric tonnes of cargo, with later phases envisaged to ramp up capacity to 90 million passengers and 3.2 million metric tonnes of cargo.

The Air India group has already announced plans to commence operations from NMIA with its low-cost arm, Air India Express, starting with 20 daily departures (40 air traffic movements) to 15 cities during Phase 1.

The group further plans to scale this up to 55 daily departures including international flights by mid-2026, and eventually to 60 daily departures (120 ATMs) in winter 2026.