Navi Mumbai: The first day of airside operations at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) welcomed 4,000 passengers as the airport charged up the 1,160 hectares of land, which was awaiting its first commercial flight from more than three decades. The launch signalled the commencement of India’s first dual-airport system, which is expected to become one of the busiest and most significant aviation hubs in India.
NMIA aims to decongest Mumbai airport and serve surrounding regions
The operationalisation of NMIA not only sets its first step towards decongestion at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) but also opens a feasible air transport option for people from Raigad, Pune and the Konkan belt. The beginning of airside operations at NMIA was marked with a wide range of celebrations and activities on the tarmac as well as inside the terminal.
The inaugural operations were marked by the lighting of lamp and ribbon cutting by Adani Airport Holding Ltd.’s chief executive officer Arun Bansal and senior IndiGo executives. The first passengers departing from NMIA were given symbolic boarding passes by the respective airlines to honour them as the first passengers on the new routes. The c celebrated the occasion of landing their first flight at NMIA by cutting a cake with airport CEO Capt. BVJK Sharma.
Enhanced Passenger Experience |
Cultural performances featuring traditional Maharashtrian Lezim folk dance, dhol and tutari added a strong local flavour, offering visitors a vivid glimpse into Maharashtra’s cultural heritage. India Post also released a commemorative ‘First Flight Carried Special Cover’ featuring the NMIA terminal, flown on an IndiGo service to Goa.
Tribute To Hands That Built The Airport | Mahesh D More
Adani Group’s chairman Gautam Adani remained present to welcome the first arriving passengers at NMIA. While he personally greeted each one of them, the passengers also queued up to meet the airport’s top boss and click selfies with him. He expressed pride over the completion and launch of the long-awaited aviation project, calling it a landmark moment for Mumbai and its residents.
Joyride For Villagers |
Flight Operations To Expand By Monday
The first day recorded flights to and from Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Nagpur and Goa Mopa. These were operated by IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air. Notably, IndiGo will commence more flights connecting NMIA to Jaipur, Chennai, Coimbatore and Vadodara in the next five days.
AIX Late On First Day |
The airport will continue with 15 arrivals and departures on Friday, the second day of operations, with 11 departures operated by IndiGo, three by Akasa Air and only one departure by AIX. Although IndiGo will commence daily flights connecting NMIA with Jaipur, the total tally will remain the same as the flight to Delhi will be reduced to one daily flight.
New Aircraft For new Airport |
The number of operations will increase from Monday as IndiGo will commence daily flights for Chennai and Coimbatore and 5x weekly flights for Vadodara from Tuesday.
Actual First Landing Not IndiGo |
While the airport is currently limited to domestic flights from 8am to 8pm, it is slated to transition to round-the-clock operations from February 2026 and commence international operations from April 2026. By the time all five phases are complete, NMIA will be one of the largest airports in the world, with a capacity of 90 million passengers per year.
Excitement Overflows in The Cabin & The Cockpit
The atmosphere inside IndiGo’s flight 6E460, which made the first commercial landing at NMIA on Thursday, was as lively as it could get as passengers shared joy and greetings with each other on experiencing the one-in-a-lifetime commute. The flight’s captain shared the greetings with the passengers about being the first commercial flight to land at India’s largest greenfield airport while informing them that Gautam Adani will be present to greet the passengers. As the wheels met the tarmac and the flight was welcomed with the water cannon salute, a collective roar of applause erupted from the cabin.
Experience Enhanced for the Certified Inaugural Flight Passengers
While the passengers of IndiGo’s 6E460 were already overwhelmed with the special feeling of being the first to land at the newly opened airport, the airport’s operator, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (NMIAL), enhanced their experience with a series of activities. The passengers were welcomed with a garland of flowers, followed by greetings from Gautam Adani. As the passengers reached to collect their luggage, the baggage belt brought along goodie boxes and ‘Inaugural Flight Passenger” certificates as a souvenir, honouring their presence as one of the very first to fly with the airport.
Tribute to The Hands That Made The Airport
On the eve of the commencement of operations from NMIA, a drone show was organised by NMIA for its employees and construction workers, who built the airport. Around 1,515 drones moved in a seamless coordination to create aerial formations like lotus blooms, airport logo and an aircraft landing at the airport. While the spectacle brought together innovation and artistry, workers recorded the show with their mobile phones with a feeling of unmatched excitement.
Joyride for Villagers Whose Land Made NMIA’s Dream Come True
A special 40 minute airplane joy ride was organised by NMIA for the villagers whose land was procured to construct the airport. The chartered Air India Express’ Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft took-off at 10.57am and flew the ‘special passengers’, which also included Adani Group’s specially-abled employees, over the Arabian Sea at an altitude of 14,000 feet before returning back to NMIA at 11.40am. The airport staff bid farewell to the villagers with gifts and memories for lifetime.
AIX Late On The Very First Day
Air India Express (AIX)’s flight no. IX2914 arrived with a delay of 40 minutes on the first day of NMIA’s operations. The flight was scheduled to depart from Bengaluru at 6am and land at 8.10am. However, it actually took-off after a significant delay at 7.37am but managed to arrive only 40 minutes late. While AIX was scheduled for the second arrival of the day, the delay cost it to reach third. Similarly, IndiGo’s flight no. 6E884 from Hyderabad reached 17 minutes late at NMIA after departing with a delay of 34 minutes.
New Aircraft for the New Airport
Akasa Air began operations from NMIA with its brand-new Boeing 737 Max 8-200 aircraft that was delivered on December 10. The airline’s 31st aircraft, registered as VT-YBH, was deployed on the first trip from Delhi to NMIA. It departed from Delhi at 5.53am and landed at NMIA at 7.38am, shortly after the landing of the maiden flight operated by IndiGo. The new aircraft flew back to Delhi at 9.17am.
Actual First Landing Not IndiGo
While IndiGo’s 6E460 was the first commercial aircraft to land at NMIA on Thursday, the first landing was marked at 7.21am by Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani’s private jet. He flew from Ahmedabad on his Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft and arrived at NMIA right before the first commercial landing to welcome the passengers.
Voices
“This is a very proud moment for Mumbaikars. We are really fortunate that we got a chance to develop Navi Mumbai Airport. We tried to make it a world-class airport. Mumbai was struggling for the last 10 years to have more facilities at the airport. The present Mumbai airport was actually fully jammed. This one will basically ease out the traffic movement there.” - Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group
“We are pleased to commence operations from NMIA, the second airport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. This enables us to offer even greater travel choices to travelers to/from Mumbai. Initially, IndiGo will be connecting NMIA to over 10 key destinations across the nation. These newly launched services will support the growth of this brand-new aviation gateway and complement Mumbai’s CSMIA.” - Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo.
“The start of flights from Navi Mumbai is a milestone for the city and the region. We are happy to be part of this effort, in enhancing capacity for Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Navi Mumbai is a key pillar of our dual-airport strategy, complementing our services from CSMIA, where we operate direct flights to 11 domestic and three international destinations.” - Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express.
“NMIA represents a generational expansion of aviation capacity for the MMR, anchored in modern infrastructure and enhanced customer experience. Akasa Air will have the largest percentage of its fleet and operations based out of Navi Mumbai International Airport, and we are proud to be early and valuable participants in this landmark development.” - Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air
Excitement Overflows in The Cabin & The Cockpit
Akasa Air crew also celebrated the first landing at NMIA by posing for pictures with cutout reading, "The Akasa Experience."
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