Navi Mumbai International Airport begins commercial operations with 1st flights

MUMBAI: Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) formally entered India’s commercial aviation map on Wednesday with the arrival and departure of its first scheduled passenger flights, marking a long-awaited milestone for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.The inaugural arrival was IndiGo flight 6E460 from Bengaluru, which touched down at 8 am, said an NMIA spokesperson. The aircraft was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute, a time-honoured aviation tradition reserved for landmark occasions, the airport official added. Over half an hour later, NMIA handled its first departure, IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad, which took off at 8:40 am, completing the airport’s first commercial arrival–departure cycle. With the commencement of scheduled passenger services, NMIA adds much-needed capacity to India’s busiest aviation market, complementing operations at Mumbai’s existing airport and easing long-standing congestion constraints in the region.The opening of NMIA is seen as a significant step in expanding air connectivity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, which has been constrained for decades as the existing Mumbai airport functions out of a single runway. The existing airport handles about 950 flights in 24 hours, while NMIA will start operations with an 8 am to 8 pm operations, handling about 30 flights on day 1. Operations commence with four carriers — IndiGo, Akasa Air, Air India Express and Star Air — together operating about 30 scheduled movements (arrivals and departures) on day one, according to the flight schedule issued by the airport. All services on the opening day are domestic.