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Navi Mumbai Airport to be Inaugurated on 30th September, Domestic Flights to Start Late October – Early November
Moneylife Digital Team 12 September 2025
Economy & Nation
Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is scheduled for its formal inauguration on 30 September 2025, but regular passenger flights are likely to begin only by late October or early November, according to media reports. The delay between inauguration and launch of services is intended to allow for a smooth ramp-up of infrastructure, final safety clearances and airline preparations.
 
Developed by the Adani group, the NMIA will initially begin with one runway and Terminal 1 in Phase 1, easing congestion at Mumbai’s overburdened Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) indicating the runway will be closed till 20 September 2025, suggesting that the infrastructure is being readied for operations thereafter. 
 
Two airlines have so far confirmed their operations from NMIA as soon as domestic flight operations commence. IndiGo will be the launch carrier at NMIA, with plans to operate 18 daily departures connecting to over 15 domestic destinations. While IndiGo has not disclosed the exact list of cities, major routes such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai are expected to feature in the early schedule. The airline has announced an ambitious ramp-up — expanding to 79 daily departures, including 14 international flights by November 2025 and crossing 140 daily flights by late 2026.
 
Akasa Air will also begin operations from its early phase, starting with 15 domestic flights daily. By mid-2026, Akasa aims to scale to 40+ domestic flights and up to 10 international services, with Navi Mumbai serving as a key hub for its expansion.
 
Other airlines, including Air India Express, are reported to be considering NMIA operations, but formal announcements are still awaited.
 
For the first two months, NMIA will operate for 12 hours daily (8am to 8pm) before moving to round-the-clock service. Authorities expect around 60 daily flights to begin with, scaling up rapidly to about 300 flights per day within six months. Phase 1 is designed to handle 20mn (million) passengers annually, with future expansions set to increase this to nearly 90mn passengers a year.
 
Flight operations from NMIA will start with domestic routes only. IndiGo is expected to begin international services soon after the domestic operations commence, followed by Akasa and other carriers by mid-2026. NMIA’s long-term plan is to emerge as a full-service international gateway, sharing Mumbai’s aviation load with CSMIA.
 
The exact schedule of flights — including destinations, frequencies and timings — has not yet been published by airlines or the airport authority. These details are expected closer to the inauguration date, once final clearances and slot allocations are confirmed.
 
Passengers booking flights around late September and October should double-check which Mumbai airport (CSMIA or NMIA) their flight departs from, as both airports will operate in parallel. Connectivity to NMIA is being boosted through road, metro and expressway upgrades, making it a convenient option for travellers from Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune and surrounding regions.
 
The opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport marks the beginning of a dual-airport system for India’s financial capital.  While the ceremonial opening on 30 September is a significant milestone, the real impact for travellers will become clear when flights begin in late October or early November. The phased roll-out reflects the airport’s ambition to ensure safety and operational readiness from the beginning.
Comments
bhagathabil007
2 months ago
This is a basic requirement Infrastructure for people to reach Airport to and fro without hurdles
Reply
rahul.shirbhate30
2 months ago
Navi Mumbai is developed city, known for its wider roads, less crowded and clean city in India. Certainly it's not the rural place. Only connectivity from NMIA to main Mumbai City (western suburbs till virar) has to be rapidly made. Through Metro.
Reply
yar136y
2 months ago
It only happens in India where an airport is operational in a rural area without any commuting connections to the city .. it’s stupid to start operations without motorways or high-speed rail connections to Mumbai city
Reply
vijaykumar.a.rane
2 months ago
Good proposal by all concerned authorities.
Hopefully this decongest Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at terminals 1 , 1A, 2, 2A and 2B.
Reply
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