Why Does NMIA Have Lotus Design? How’s It Linked To Metro, Rail, Road? The Cities With 2 Airports

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on October 8. Once the airport is ready with two runways, it will have the capacity to handle nine crore passengers (annually).
The NMIA will be many times bigger than the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai.
By 2032, the airport will be able to accommodate 2.5 million tonnes of cargo. The domestic cargo terminal will be spread over 3,60,000 sq ft and the international cargo terminal will be spread over 2,55,000 sq ft.

छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज यांचे भव्य दर्शन नवी मुंबई विमानतळावर व्हायलाच हवे!

मुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस यांनी आज नवी मुंबई आंतरराष्ट्रीय विमानतळाच्या पाहणीदरम्यान ‘छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज यांच्याशिवाय महाराष्ट्र

पूर्णच होऊ शकत नाही, असे स्पष्ट प्रतिपादन केले. @Dev_Fadnavis… pic.twitter.com/2PUbhLvVGB

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 12, 2025

Two runways will be constructed at this airport and it will be possible to park 350 planes at the same time at 4 terminals. Even though the airport has four terminal buildings, passengers can reach their flight no matter which terminal they go to. The airport is located in Ulwe in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The Navi Mumbai airport construction project planning started in 1990. It later picked up speed in the 2000s. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the project’s foundation stone in February 2018.
The airport is being developed over 1,160 hectares, with the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) executing the pre-development work, which includes river diversion, high-tension power line relocation, and land development.
The airport is being developed by a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), which is a 74:26 joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) and City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO).
The financial closure for the project was achieved in March 2022, with State Bank of India sanctioning Rs 12,770 crore out of the total project cost of Rs 19,647 crore.

Navi Mumbai Airport: Lotus design to green measures

The airport has a stunning lotus-shaped design, which honours India’s national flower.
It is a green airport with 37 MW of green power being used. All vehicles will either be electric or run on alternative fuel and sustainable aviation fuel, which is being developed on a large scale. This airport will be a big centre where green fuel will be used on a large scale.”
Arrangements are also being done so that baggage check-in is done in different cities itself so that passengers can travel to the airport without the need to carry it. This will give passengers a good travel experience, the CM said.
The Panvel airport will also feature a fuel farm of 1,630,000 sq ft and three aircraft hangars.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Inaugural landing of IAF C-295 takes place at Navi Mumbai International airport. The Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft landed at the airport for a trial run on the runway.

CM Eknath Shinde and others present here.

(Video: ANI/Maharashtra CMO) pic.twitter.com/4LtDGyfEQ6

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2024

Metro, Road, Rail: Connectivity to Navi Mumbai Airport

The airport is 10 minutes away from Panvel and will be easily accessible via road, metro rail, and suburban railways. The airport connects the Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1 and the Mumbai metro line 8, also called Gold line.
Also, the airport will be the starting point of the Mumbai-Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor.
The Sewri Nhava Sheva Trans-Harbor Sea Link or MTHL will also provide easy access to the airport.
The linking of Atal Setu to Coastal Road is expected to be completed by March next year
From Thane, a direct elevated road has been suggested and that work will also start soon, said the CM
Arrangements are being made for connecting the airport from four directions with all modes of transport, including the suburban railway, metro or water transport, so that it will be easy for the passengers to reach, he said.
“In the second phase, similar to an underground metro, one train will operate to connect all the terminals within the airport. Nobody will have to walk, and it will also prevent vehicles from creating traffic jams. Planning is done in that direction. The bay will be within 500 meters and travelators will be provided for passengers,” Fadnavis said.
This airport will also have bullet train connectivity with Metro.

📍नवी मुंबई

प्रगतीपथावर असलेल्या नवी मुंबई आंतरराष्ट्रीय विमानतळाची प्रत्यक्ष पाहणी… pic.twitter.com/u4DzQSuRon

— Eknath Shinde – एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) July 12, 2025

Like Mumbai, which cities have two airports?

In India
Delhi NCR: Indira Gandhi International Airport and Hindon Airport
Goa: Dabolim Airport and Manohar International Airport

Some international examples
Belgium’s Brussels
Poland’s Warsaw
Canada’s Montreal
China’s Beijing
Turkey’s Istanbul and
UK’s Glasgow

With PTI Inputs