Come Christmas Day, Navi Mumbai’s long-awaited international airport will finally take flight. After its official inauguration on October 8, the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will make its commercial debut on December 25. Akasa Air and IndiGo have already announced flight operations from the country’s newest aviation hub.
During its inauguration, PM Narendra Modi hailed NMIA’s lotus-inspired architecture as a powerful symbol of India’s cultural roots and modern aspirations. He said the project reflected the government’s strong push for world-class infrastructure and economic expansion.
Let’s take a look at some features of the new airport
The first phase of NMIA has been built at a cost of Rs 19,650 crore. By 2032, the airport is planned to expand dramatically, with four runways and three interconnected terminals.
Passenger handling: In its opening phase, NMIA will operate with one runway and one terminal, capable of handling two crore passengers annually. As subsequent phases roll out, the airport will scale up with additional runways and terminals, eventually reaching a massive capacity of nine crore passengers and 3.25 million tonnes of cargo every year. This will place NMIA among Asia’s largest aviation hubs.
India’s largest greenfield airport project: Spread across 1,160 hectares in Ulwe, NMIA is India’s biggest greenfield airport project developed under a public-private partnership. The Adani Group holds a 74% stake, while CIDCO owns the remaining 26%.
Mumbai's wait for a second airport is finally over!
— VT-VLO (@Vinamralongani) November 15, 2025
Navi Mumbai Airport bearing @IATA code 'NMI' is to commence passenger operations from 25.12.25.@AkasaAir and @IndiGo6E will operate flights to/from NMI from the same day.
Flights on sale now.#AvGeekpic.twitter.com/9qG4anRjkS
Lotus-inspired architecture and sustainability: Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the airport’s architecture draws deeply from the lotus. NMIA will also be India’s first fully digital airport, equipped with facial-recognition boarding, biometric e-gates, smart baggage systems and automated passenger flow management. Sustainability features include 47 MW of solar power, EV-based mobility systems and extensive water-recycling infrastructure.
Akasa Air to operate first flight
Akasa Air will operate NMIA’s inaugural commercial flight Delhi to Navi Mumbai on December 25. The special service (QP 1831) will depart Delhi at 5.25 am and land at 8.10 am, with the return flight taking off at 8.50 am.
In the first phase, Akasa will connect Navi Mumbai to Delhi, Goa, Kochi and Ahmedabad. Daily flights will operate on the Delhi and Goa routes, Kochi will get five weekly services, while the Ahmedabad route will start with a Wednesday service, expanding from December 31. Initial fares on the Delhi route begin around Rs 6,000. NMIA will begin with 12-hour daily operations starting 8 am.
IndiGo announces aggressive network rollout
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has also confirmed the launch of extensive operations from December 25, connecting NMIA to 10 domestic destinations. These include Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, North Goa (Mopa), Jaipur, Nagpur, Cochin and Mangalore.
IndiGo said it plans to expand its network as NMIA ramps up infrastructure and capacity in the coming months.
