Mumbai Inaugurates New International Airport
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The airport, built by the Adani Group, is a Rs 19,650 crore (approximately $2.2 billion) project. The first phase of the airport is expected to begin operations in December and serve as a key passenger and cargo hub in Asia.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport is the second international airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The airport is expected to ease congestion at the city's existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), which is one of the country's busiest airports.
The new airport is part of India's push to modernize infrastructure and strengthen air connectivity as its economy grows and air travel increases. The government has launched and upgraded airports to link smaller cities and improve cargo movement, aiming to make air travel a key driver of economic growth. Since 2014, the number of airports in the country has increased from 74 to over 160.
During the inauguration, Modi recalled his 2014 vision that even those “wearing hawai chappals (slippers)” should be able to travel by air and emphasized that realizing this dream required establishing new airports across the country.
The Navi Mumbai airport will have a capacity of up to 20 million passengers annually in its first phase and eventually handle 90 million passengers once all four planned terminals are operational. The airport will also be able to handle 3.25 million metric tonnes of cargo annually. NMIA will be the first airport in India planned to be connected by water taxis, as well as high-speed rail, underground metro trains, roads, and highway networks.
The airport's design incorporates elements of freedom and infinity, inspired by a lotus. Operationally, the airport aspires to match Heathrow's efficiency and Incheon's cargo expertise. The terminal will feature 66 check-in points, 22 self-service baggage drop stations, 29 passenger boarding bridges, and 10 gates for bus boarding. The facility will also house sections for express deliveries, high-value items, hazardous materials, and animal transportation. NMIA's operations will be technologically advanced, incorporating 5G networks, IoT sensors for monitoring, automated luggage systems, and contactless processing through Digi Yatra.
The Adani Group plans to invest an additional ₹30,000 crore (approximately $3.6 billion) to expand the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Design work has begun on the second terminal, which is expected to be commissioned by 2029.
Airlines such as Akasa Air, IndiGo, and Air India have already partnered with the airport to begin operations.
