Reaching Navi Mumbai Airport From Thane: Take Roads, Trains, Double-Decker Corridor Or Metros

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8 inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA)

, describing it as a “glimpse of Viksit Bharat”, or developed India, that will help make the Mumbai region Asia’s biggest connectivity hub.
The first phase of NMIA, also the country’s largest greenfield airport, has been built at a cost of Rs 19,650 crore and is set to be operational in December. Ticket sales are likely to start by the end of October.

THE NAVI MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NMIA)

Spread across 1,160 hectares, the airport will have one terminal and one runway in the first phase with an annual passenger handling capacity of 20 million. The airportwill play a significant role in making the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) Asia’s biggest connectivity hub, the PM declared.

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NMIA, spread over 1,160 hectares, is set to significantly boost India’s aviation capacity and ease the heavy traffic burden on Mumbai’s existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).
The airport, upon completion of all phases, will have four terminals with a capacity of 90 million passengers per annum and a cargo capacity of 3.25 million metric tonnes, making it one of the largest aviation hubs in Asia.
A release from the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday said NMIA will be the first airport in the country to be connected by water taxi.

On the way to Navi Mumbai to take part in the programme marking the inauguration of Phase-1 of the Navi Mumbai International Airport. With this, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region will get its second major international airport, thus boosting commerce and connectivity. The final… pic.twitter.com/t6v82O6Een

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 8, 2025

NMIA’S CONNECTIVITY

Designed as a multimodal hub, NMIA will be seamlessly connected to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai Metro, suburban rail networks and planned waterways.

HOW TO REACH NMIA FROM THANE?

Thane is around 35 to 50 km away from the NMIA. So the estimated travel could be 1-2 hours, depending on traffic.

Thane to NMIA: By taxi/car/cab
Option 1: Thane Belapur Road to Palm Beach Road / Vashi to Ulwe
From Kalwa or Airoli, you can take the Thane Belapur Road south. At Turbhe, join the Vashi Palm Beach Road stretch, then head towards Ulwe/Pushpak Nagar where the airport is located.
Traffic tip: Thane Belapur and Palm Beach Road see massive traffic snarls during peak hours

Option 2: Ghodbunder Road to Airoli to Thane Belapur Road to Ulwe
If you are starting from western Thane suburbs or Ghodbunder Road, you can move towards Airoli via Ghodbunder or Airoli Bridge, then join Thane Belapur Road, and proceed via Turbhe-Vashi-Palm Beach-Ulwe.
Traffic tip: The distance is slightly if starting from far west, but it can help you avoid some central Thane traffic congestion.

Option 3: Eastern Express Highway to Airoli Bridge to Belapur/Palm Beach
From Thane, you can take the Eastern Express Highway south and exit towards Airoli Bridge (or link road). There, join the Thane Belapur-Palm Beach-Vashi-Ulwe.
Traffic tip: It might be faster depending on your starting location in Thane and time of day.

How long will it take?

1.5-2 hours approximately.

How much will it cost?

A cab could cost around Rs 800-1,500.
Thane to NMIA: By Railway
This is a budget-friendly option.
You can take a train from Thane to Panvel (Harbour Line or Trans-Harbour Line). This will take around one hour and cost Rs 10-20.
Once at Panvel Station (Ulwe side), you can take an autorickshaw or an app-based can. The distance is 10-15 km and the autorickshaw charges could be around Rs 150-300.

Thane to NMIA: By bus
Airport Express Buses (Planned): MSRTC and others are planning dedicated airport express buses from Pune, Thane, Dadar, Vashi and Panvel. Some services may be electric.
CIDCO and MMRDA are planning mini-buses, e-rickshaws, auto stands, and shuttles from rail/metro nodes to NMIA terminals.

KNOW THE ROADS THAT TAKE YOU TO NMIA

Sion-Panvel Highway, NH 348A, Amra Marg: These existing highways connect Mumbai, Thane, and suburbs to Navi Mumbai and NMIA.
Eastern Freeway: It brings traffic from South Mumbai to Chembur before joining the Sion-Panvel highway.
Ulwe Coastal Road (UCR): A new six-lane road (5.8 km) with a 1.2-km elevated section. It will link Amra Marg/Belapur to MTHL junction for direct NMIA access. It is under construction and expected to be ready by early 2026.
Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) or Atal Setu: The 22-km sea bridge connects Sewri (Mumbai) to Nhava Sheva (Navi Mumbai). It will bring down the travel time to 20 minutes from bridge end to NMIA. It was opened in 2024, and connects to NMIA via Ulwe Coastal Road.

THE GRAND PLAN FOR THANE-NMIA TRAVEL: AN ELEVATED, DOUBLE-DECKER CORRIDOR

A 26-km corridor has been proposed. It links Patni Chowk in Thane to Vashi and has 9-km connector from Vashi to NMIA. The double-decker design is meant to ease congestion on the Thane-Belapur Road. The DPR is underway, while the construction is yet to begin. It has been approved and will facilitate passengers from the entire metropolitan region. With this elevated corridor, it will take just a few minutes to travel from Mumbai and Thane to Navi Mumbai. This elevated road will be connected to Ulwe Coastal Road. It will be connected to the Navi Mumbai airport terminals by an elevated road.
Kharghar-Belapur Coastal Road is planned between Kharghar Sector-16 and Belapur Sector-11. It aims to ease Sion-Panvel traffic and improve NMIA access. While CRZ clearance has been received, construction is awaited.

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🚩 A proud and historic day for Maharashtra!
🔸CM Devendra Fadnavis at the ‘Inauguration, Dedication, Unveiling and Launch of various development projects’ at the hands of PM Narendra Modi.
✅Inauguration of Navi Mumbai International Airport for Maha-Mumbai
✅Dedication of Mumbai… pic.twitter.com/HNXEJl6rs5

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) October 8, 2025

Other routes to Navi Mumbai International Airport

From South Mumbai: Freeway to Atal Setu to Ulwe-Belapur Road. It will take around 60+ minutes.
From Powai: Eastern Express Highway to Vashi Bridge to Thane-Belapur Road to Belapur-Ulwe Road. It will take approximately an hour or more.
From Goregaon: Western Express Highway to Sea Link to Worli to Freeway to Atal Setu to Ulwe-Belapur Road. It could take around 1.5 hours.
From Mira Road: Ghodbunder Road to Thane-Belapur Road to Belapur-Ulwe Road. It could take more than two hours.

Metros to Navi Mumbai International Airport

Metro Line 8 (Gold Line): This is the route the corridor will take — CSMIA (Andheri) to Kurla to LTT to Mankhurd to Vashi to Nerul to Belapur to NMIA. The line will begin at CSMIA Terminal 2 in Andheri, travel underground till Chhedanagar in Chembur, and then continue as an elevated line until NMIA.
It is expected to be completed by 2029.

Navi Mumbai Metro lines: CIDCO plans to extend Navi Mumbai MetroLines to connect directly with NMIA. Specific lines and alignments are in planning stages.

With PTI Inputs