Mumbai, October 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), marking Mumbai’s entry into a select group of global cities — including London, New York, and Tokyo — that operate multiple airports.
Built at a cost of ₹19,650 crore ($2.35 billion), the state-of-the-art facility is India’s first fully digital airport and is expected to begin commercial operations in December. The airport has been developed under a public-private partnership between Adani Airport Holdings Ltd and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO).
In its first phase, NMIA will handle up to 20 million passengers annually through one terminal and runway. When fully operational, it will expand to four terminals and two runways, capable of accommodating 155 million passengers a year.
Adani Airport Holdings Chief Executive Arun Bansal described the new airport as an “anxiety-free airport” due to its emphasis on automation and digital services. “We are experimenting with AI-enabled baggage tracking in Ahmedabad, and here, passengers will receive updates directly on their phones,” he said.
The airport’s digital systems will allow passengers to pre-book vehicle parking slots, check in online, and access automated baggage and immigration services through an AI-enabled terminal.
Commercial operations will initially run for 12 hours daily, with around 40% of flights serving international routes — a share expected to rise to 75% over time. Several Indian carriers, including IndiGo, Air India Express, and Akasa Air, have announced plans to begin services from the new hub.
Spread across 1,160 hectares, the Navi Mumbai airport is projected to generate more than 200,000 jobs across aviation, logistics, information technology, hospitality, and real estate sectors. Designed as India’s first fully integrated multimodal transport hub, the airport will connect to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, metro and suburban rail networks, and planned waterway services.
