Navi Mumbai: An aircraft accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute as Navi Mumbai International Airport commenced commercial flight operations, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (PTI Photo)

Mumbai gets second airport as NMIA starts commercial flight operations

By the time all five phases of the airport are completed, it will be catering to 90 million passengers annually.

by · The Siasat Daily

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) now has a second airport with the commencement of commercial flight operations at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Thursday.

NMIA began operations, with the first flight from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo, touching down the runway at 8 am.

So far, Mumbai was primarily served by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA)

Ceremonial water cannon salute

The aircraft was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute on arrival, a time-honoured aviation tradition marking NMIA’s first commercial touchdown and departure, the airport operator said in a statement.

The inaugural arrival was followed by the airport’s first departure IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad at 08:40 am, completing NMIA’s inaugural arrival and departure cycle, it said.

On the first day, IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air will operate domestic services, connecting the new facility to nine destinations across India.

Mumbai: Worker at the Navi Mumbai International Airport, in Navi Mumbai, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Adani Group plans to invest Rs 1 lakh crore in its airports business over the next five years, betting on sustained growth in India’s aviation sector, which is expected to expand at 15-16 per cent annually, a top group official said. (PTI Photo)
Navi Mumbai: A view of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, a day ahead of the first passenger flights scheduled to take off and land, in Navi Mumbai, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (PTI Photo)
Navi Mumbai: Interior of the newly-built Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) ahead of the commencement of commercial flight operations, in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (PTI Photo)
Navi Mumbai: Interior of the newly-built Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) ahead of the commencement of commercial flight operations, in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (PTI Photo)

The airport will handle 15 scheduled departures on the first day, it said, adding that during the initial phase, the facility will operate for 12 hours — between 8 am and 8 pm, with up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations and the capability to manage up to 10 aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) per hour, it added.

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8 this year.

Five-phased airport

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.

The entire project is being developed in multiple phases under a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), in which the Adani Group has a 74 per cent stake, and the remaining 26 per cent is owned by CIDCO.

From February next year, operations are planned to progressively scale up to round-the-clock services.