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Navi Mumbai International Airport Details: The much-anticipated Navi Mumbai International Airport is gearing up to commence operations by early next fiscal year, with its inauguration expected on April 17, 2025. This new airport aims to alleviate the increasing congestion at Mumbai’s existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
In a significant step towards its opening, an IndiGo A320 aircraft successfully landed at 1:32 PM on runway 08/26 of the under-construction airport on Sunday (December 29, 2024). This successful test flight marks a major milestone, enabling Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) to apply for an aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which will allow commercial flight operations to begin.
Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, revealed that the official inauguration is planned for April 17, with domestic flights beginning in the second half of May. Following additional procedures, international operations are expected to commence by the end of July 2025.
The airport is being developed by Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), a joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO), with Adani holding a 74% stake.
Launched in 2018 with a foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Navi Mumbai International Airport represents a significant investment of ₹16,700 crore. The project will ultimately feature two runways and four terminals, with the capacity to serve 90 million passengers annually once all five phases are completed.
The first two phases of the project will feature a single runway and one terminal, while the subsequent phases will introduce a second runway and additional terminal buildings. The final phases will ensure that the airport can accommodate the increasing demand for both domestic and international air travel.
Following the expected inauguration in April, domestic operations will commence by May 2025, with international services slated to begin in July 2025 after the necessary regulatory approvals, including a license from the DGCA. The airport’s final approval hinges on technical assessments, landing and take-off procedures, and safety validations.
Construction of the airport officially began in August 2021, and it is expected to be fully operational by 2025. The airport will initially handle 20 million passengers annually, with future phases increasing capacity to 60 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of cargo.
Spread across 1,160 hectares, the airport is being developed under a public-private partnership between Adani Airports Holdings Limited and CIDCO. It is named in honor of Dinkar Balu Patil, a prominent activist who played a key role in local land rights movements during the airport’s land acquisition.
The development of Navi Mumbai International Airport aligns with the goal of easing pressure on Mumbai’s current airport, which handled 52.8 million passengers during the fiscal year starting April 2024.
This massive project will be a crucial hub for air travel in the region, offering increased capacity and modern facilities to meet the growing demands of India’s aviation sector.
Navi Mumbai International Airport, located near Panvel, is set to improve Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) by offering smoother operations and faster flight turnarounds. The airport will reduce travel time for residents of Mumbai’s expansive suburbs, such as Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Panvel, transforming hours of commuting into minutes. The new airport will also serve as a secondary hub, distributing passenger load more evenly, leading to less congestion on roads, shorter wait times, and improved airport services. This relief will make life in the city’s outskirts more appealing and provide long-overdue relief for those who have spent hours navigating traffic to catch a flight.
