IndiGo and Akasa Air will launch operations from the newly-inaugurated Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) starting December 25. This makes them among the first airlines to begin services at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s second airport, which was inaugurated on October 8.
Both airlines have announced their initial operational schedules, with IndiGo planning connectivity to 10 domestic destinations and Akasa Air rolling out a multi-phase launch covering four cities. Akasa Air has already opened reservations, becoming one of the first carriers to offer services from the new facility.
IndiGo said it will commence services on December 25 and link NMIA to Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, North Goa (Mopa), Jaipur, Nagpur, Kochi, and Mangalore.
The airline noted that NMIA is designed to complement Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and cater to rising air-travel demand in the region, adding that it plans to progressively expand its operations by introducing more direct routes.
IndiGo highlighted that the addition strengthens its wider domestic network of 95 airports.
Akasa Air will operate its first Delhi-NMIA flight on December 25, followed by direct services to Goa on the same day, and to Kochi and Delhi from December 26. A Navi Mumbai-Ahmedabad service will begin on December 31.
According to the airline, this marks a significant stage in its expansion, as it now operates 34 weekly flights in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Akasa said it will progressively scale up operations from NMIA to 300 domestic and 50 international weekly departures, as part of a broader network strategy that includes expanding to 10 parking bases by FY2027.
“For Akasa Air, NMIA strengthens our strategic presence in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and western India, allowing us to optimise capacity deployment and capture new demand pools across,” Praveen lyer, co-founder and chief commercial officer, Akasa Air, said.
