Mumbai is all set to get its second airport, the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), on December 25. Located near Ulwe/Belapur-Kharghar in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the airport was officially
inaugurated on October 8, 2025 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While initial flights will operate with one runway and one terminal, there are plans to scale up to 90 million passengers over time, easing capacity constraints at Mumbai’s existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Built at an initial cost of Rs 19,650 crore, the airport is spread over about 1,160 hectares.
How to reach the NMIA from Mumbai?
1. ROAD: CAR, TAXI, CAB
Via Atal Setu (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link): From South Mumbai or central areas, take Atal Setu to Sewri-Nhava Sheva side, then continue towards Ulwe/NMIA. This is the fastest and smoothest route, but it involves a toll.
Via Vashi Bridge: From eastern suburbs (Chembur, Ghatkopar, Kurla), cross the Vashi Bridge and drive through Navi Mumbai towards the airport. This route is toll-free but can be slower during peak hours.
Travel time can range from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on traffic and your starting point.
At #NaviMumbaiAirport, DigiYatra will make every step smoother and more time-efficient from Day One.#NMIA #DigiYatra #Airport pic.twitter.com/04KbRztYw7
— Navi Mumbai International Airport (@navimumairport) December 6, 2025
2. RAILWAY
Take a Harbour Line train from CSMT, Wadala, or Kurla towards Panvel.
Get down at Targhar railway station, currently the closest station to the airport. Until early December, CBD Belapur was the closest railway station to NMIA.
From Targhar, use an auto-rickshaw, taxi, or shuttle (about 10-15 minutes).
Train frequency at Targhar is still limited is a service every 30 minutes, so plan accordingly. Also, train schedules for Targhar are not yet visible on popular apps such as M-Indicator.
ALSO READ | Mumbai Airport Vs NMIA: The Tale Of City’s 2 Airports In 10 Points
3. BUS
Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) plans to run electric buses from major Navi Mumbai nodes and railway stations to the airport.
In the initial phase, buses are expected mainly from Panvel, Belapur, Kharghar, and surrounding areas. This is a budget-friendly option but may take longer.
4. APP-BASED TAXIS
Services like Uber and Ola are expected to operate to and from NMIA, especially from Mumbai’s central and southern parts. Availability should improve as flight operations increase.
ON DECEMBER 25
Theinaugural arrival is scheduled to be IndiGo flight 6E460 from Bengaluru at 08:00 on December 25.
The first departure will be IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad at 08:40.
WHAT WILL BE NMIA’S SCHEDULE?
In the first month, the airport will run scheduled flights from 08:00 to 20:00 daily, with up to 23 departures per day.
It will handle about 10 aircraft movements per hour during this initial phase.
The new airport in Navi Mumbai will enhance connectivity and boost urban infrastructure in the Mumbai metropolitan region. Glad to have inaugurated Phase-1 of the airport today. pic.twitter.com/6upf7aPCbh
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 8, 2025
AIRLINES OPERATING FROM NMIA
IndiGo: It will operate multiple domestic routes (e.g., Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, North Goa, Jaipur, Nagpur, Cochin, Mangalore).
Akasa Air: It will services to Delhi and Goa on December 25, with other routes like Kochi and Ahmedabad phased in shortly after.
Air India Express: It plans daily flights from NMIA beginning December 25.
WHAT NEXT FOR NMIA?
From February 2026, NMIA is set to transition to 24×7 operations with more daily departures to meet rising demand.
With Agency inputs
