Navi Mumbai International Airport begins commercial flights: Check schedule
What's the story
Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) officially started its commercial operations today. The first flight to land at the new facility was IndiGo's 6E460 from Bengaluru, which touched down at 8:00am. The arrival was celebrated with a ceremonial water cannon salute, a customary aviation tradition for inaugural landings. Shortly after, NMIA witnessed its first departure with IndiGo's flight to Hyderabad taking off at 8:40am.
Twitter Post
Take a look at first flight arrival at NMIA
VIDEO | Mumbai: Navi Mumbai International Airport begins commercial operations with its first arrival and departure flights, marked by a traditional water cannon salute.#Mumbai #NaviMumbaiAirport #Aviation
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 25, 2025
(Source - Third party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos –… pic.twitter.com/uLCQcOFXiO
Operational capacity
NMIA to handle 15 departures on opening day
On its first day, NMIA will handle 15 scheduled departures. The airport will operate for 12 hours in the initial phase, from 8am to 8pm. It can manage up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations and accommodate up to 10 aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) per hour. IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and Star Air are among the airlines that will operate domestic services from NMIA on its opening day.
Expansion strategy
NMIA's future plans and connectivity options
From February 2026, NMIA plans to gradually expand operations to 24-hour services. The airport is expected to ease congestion at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and add much-needed capacity to meet rising passenger demand in the region. The first phase of this five-phased project was built at a cost of ₹19,650 crore. Once fully completed, the airport will cater to 90 million passengers annually with dedicated cargo terminals and multimodal connectivity.
Project details
NMIA's development and accessibility
The entire NMIA project is being developed in multiple phases under a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL). The Adani Group holds a 74% stake in this venture while CIDCO owns the remaining 26%. For now, travelers can access NMIA via train (with transfers at Belapur or Nerul), bus (with some transfers), or road. Atal Setu connects South Mumbai to the airport in about an hour. Taxis cost ₹1,000-2,500 and busses range between ₹50-200.