Commercial flights resume from Navi Mumbai international airport, marking a historic moment for Mumbai

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): December 25th marked a historic day for millions of people living in Mumbai and surrounding areas. After years of waiting and multiple postponed deadlines, commercial flights finally resumed from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). This special Christmas gift will not only ease Mumbai's air traffic congestion, but also make the city the first metropolis in the country to have two international airports.

On the very first day of the inauguration, four major airlines—IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and Star Air—began operating domestic flights from the airport. The first flight departed from the airport at 8:55 am, with an IndiGo flight bound for Hyderabad. The airport terminal opened to passengers at 6:40 am.

Mumbai receives historic Christmas gift as commercial flights resume from Navi Mumbai International Airport: According to the airport management, a total of 30 air traffic movements were recorded on the first day, which includes 15 departures. In the initial phase, the airport will operate from 8 am to 8 pm. During this period, 24 scheduled flights will be operated daily and will have the capacity to handle 10 aircraft movements per hour. Currently, NMIA is connecting 9 cities of the country, which is planned to be increased to 13 destinations in a phased manner.

Spread over approximately 1,160 hectares, this state-of-the-art airport is designed around the theme of India's national flower, the lotus. Along with its magnificent terminal, it is also technologically advanced. It features Digi Yatra, which provides paperless and contactless entry for passengers. Additionally, special arrangements have been made for dining and shopping within the terminal, focusing on local flavors and affordable prices.

The first phase of this greenfield airport, built in partnership with the Adani Group and CIDCO, cost approximately ₹19,650 crore to develop. Its annual passenger capacity in the first phase is 20 million, while after completion of all five phases, the airport will be able to handle approximately 90 million passengers annually.