Navi Mumbai: India is soon to have its first fully digital airport. The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is scheduled for an inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8, with commercial flights expected to commence in December 2025 following security clearances and system testing.
In a media interaction, Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airports Holdings Ltd, highlighted a slew of automated and passenger-friendly features. Travelers will be able to pre-book parking slots, complete online check-in, baggage drop, and immigration processing. Virtual queuing and real-time queuing monitors will inform travelers of wait times and allow them to head directly to security when their slot arrives.
Phase I of operations will run eight hours daily (8 am to 8 pm), initially supporting 8–10 aircraft movements per hour. Over time, officials plan to expand operations and potentially lengthen operating hours based on demand. Bansal also said that the airport aims to carry ~40 per cent international traffic initially, eventually scaling up to ~75 per cent to align with global hub norms.
The airport is being unveiled as a future-proof, resilient project. It is raised 8.5 metres above flood level, designed to resist extreme weather and bird-strike risks, and powered in part by a 47 MW solar plant. Electric vehicles, rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, and automated people movers connecting the four terminals are part of its sustainability blueprint.
Terminal 1 is the only one ready at launch; Mumbai’s existing Terminal 1 will remain operational until at least 2029, with its demolition timed to coincide with completion of NMIA’s second terminal.
To handle expected passenger traffic and crowding, infrastructure support is already being readied. A ban on heavy vehicles in Navi Mumbai on October 8 (from 6 am to 10 pm) to ease traffic during the inauguration. Meanwhile, connectivity articles note that Targhar railway station, adjacent to the airport, is nearing completion, and services from Belapur, Seawoods and Nerul are expected soon.
In earlier Free Press Journal coverage, officials said the first flights would likely begin only after 45–60 days of systems checks. Additionally, the airport is expected to generate over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, further boosting the region’s economic prospects.
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