Located in Ulwe near Panvel, the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is set to start by the end of September 2025 with initial operations scheduled to set off under its first phase. The airport, with cost running into tens of thousands of crores of rupees, is designed to ease pressure on Mumbai’s existing airport, improve connectivity and handle a large annual passenger and cargo volume.
Spread over approximately 2,865 acres, NMIA is intended as Mumbai’s second international airport, alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). The airport will eventually comprise four terminals, with two runways and a dedicated cargo terminal. In Phase 1, Terminal 1 is ready, with a capacity to handle 20 million passengers annually. Once all phases are complete, the airport is projected to manage as many as 90 million passengers per annum.
Authorities have confirmed that NMIA is expected to be inaugurated on September 30, 2025. During its opening phase, the airport will begin with relatively modest traffic: about eight to ten air traffic movements per hour, increasing later to approximately 30 per hour during peak periods by 2026.
The Maharashtra Home Department has approved 285 immigration personnel to begin work at NMIA ahead of its opening. This staffing includes inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, head constables, and constables in proportions set to manage the flow of arriving and departing international travellers. This is one of the final administrative steps before operations begin.
To ensure travellers can reach NMIA smoothly, a multimodal connectivity plan is under way. The government is integrating road, rail, bus, and metro services. Express and elevated corridors are being planned or constructed. Existing infrastructure such as highways and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link will also serve to reduce travel time between South Mumbai and Ulwe. Exemplar improvements include express bus services from hubs like Thane, Dadar, Vashi, and Panvel.
Terminal 1 will open first, with advanced features such as state-of-the-art check-in zones, automated kiosks, biometric validation, and a fast baggage claim system. Amenities like spacious waiting lounges and modern scanning equipment are part of the design. The terminal is built to meet high standards of infrastructure and passenger comfort.
One of the key drivers behind NMIA is to relieve strain on CSMIA. With growing air traffic, congestion both in air and on ground has been a long-standing issue. By diversifying air traffic across two major airports in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, authorities aim to improve flight operations, passenger convenience, and logistics, especially cargo movements.
After the first phase, further expansion will take place, including additional terminals, increased flight movements, and improved supporting infrastructure. As operations scale up, NMIA is expected to become a major aviation hub not just for Maharashtra but for western and southern India more broadly. Continuous monitoring of connectivity, adoption of technology, and logistics will be crucial for the airport to meet its projected capacity and service goals.
When will Navi Mumbai International Airport open?
The airport is expected to be inaugurated on September 30, 2025.
How many terminals and runways will it have?
Once fully completed, NMIA will have four terminals and two runways, including a dedicated cargo terminal.
What is the expected passenger capacity at launch and in the long run?
At launch in Phase 1, NMIA will handle about 20 million passengers annually. Eventually, across all phases, the capacity is designed to reach 90 million passengers per year.
How many staffing personnel have been approved for immigration?
There are 285 immigration staff approved: inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, head constables, and constables, to manage the international arrivals and departures.
What forms of transport will connect NMIA to Mumbai and neighbouring areas?
The airport will be connected by roads, metro lines, express corridors, and bus services. Key infrastructure includes the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, elevated and express road corridors, and proposed metro and rail links.
What are the initial flight operations expected to look like?
Early operations will begin with eight to ten air traffic movements per hour. These are expected to increase to around 30 movements per hour during peak times by 2026.
(With inputs from various sources.)