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Navi Mumbai airport begins operations: 40 daily departures from Jan, 9 crore passenger capacity
The airport will serve as a critical new aviation hub for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in Maharashtra began flight operations successfully on Thursday morning, thus marking a major milesestone in its operational rollout.
The first scheduled departure at the airport was an early morning flight to Hyderabad, which departed at 8:40 am, according to a statement.
The airport will serve as a critical new aviation hub for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with commercial operations officially beginning after years of planning, development, and infrastructure work, the statement said.
The airport spans around 2,866 acres, thus being one of thelargest airport developments in the country. It has been designed to accommodate up to 90 million passengers annually.
Flight operation schedule
On the first day of operations, a total of 15 departure flights were scheduled for key domestic destinations, thus marking the initial phase of flight operations.
However, from Friday (December 26, 2025), the Navi Mumbai airport will operate 25 scheduled departure flights on a daily basis, according to the release. Further, by the end of January, 2026, the frequency of flight operations is expected to increase to 40 departures per day. The airlines which have started operating flights to and from the NMIA include IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express
Also Read | For now, Navi Mumbai International Airport to be accessible only via road
Passenger facilitation at airport
According to the statement, passengers arriving at and departing from the terminal were welcomed by officials from Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) and partner airline representatives.
Prior to the commencement of the flight schedule, all security protocols were implemented in compliance with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) standards, it said.
Boost to regional connectivity
The rollout of operations from the NMIA will enhance regional connectivity for passengers, particularly for domestic destinations including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana.
It will further reduce the travel time and provide an alternative to passengers travelling to and from the congested Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the release said. The airport will further facilitate economic activity and tourism growth in MMR and adjoining areas.
