The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) formally began operations on Tuesday with its first commercial flight arriving from Bengaluru, marking a major milestone in Maharashtra’s aviation infrastructure.
Passengers on the inaugural flight expressed excitement about the launch. One traveller, Ram Prasad, said he had booked the ticket nearly two months ago specifically to experience the new airport with his family. “We came from Bangalore just to explore the Navi Mumbai airport. I thank Mr Gautam Adani, who personally welcomed the passengers. I am very happy. Everything is good,” he told ANI.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Navi Mumbai International Airport to begin operations today
A passenger, Ram Prasad, says, “We came from Bangalore, and we booked this trip specifically to explore the Navi Mumbai airport…. First of all, I thank Mr Adani. He came and welcomed all the… https://t.co/1zXMD15il4 pic.twitter.com/R1yAOQFf5t
— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2025
Another passenger, Sunil Bajaj, described the airport as futuristic. “It feels very good that an international airport has come to Navi Mumbai. The driveway is beautiful and spacious. It will be futuristic,” he said.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Navi Mumbai International Airport to begin operations.
A passenger, Sunil Bajaj, says, “It feels very good that an international airport has come to Navi Mumbai… The driveway is beautiful and big… It will be futuristic.” pic.twitter.com/iOOjIx3rid
— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2025
Ahead of the start of commercial operations, Jeet Adani shared a video of a drone show organised for workers involved in building the airport. Posting on social media, he wrote, “Pretty cool to see the reactions! Excited for tomorrow! T-8h.”
According to PTI, the airport is being developed by Navi Mumbai International Airport Private Limited (NMIAL), a special purpose vehicle responsible for developing, operating and maintaining the greenfield airport project in Navi Mumbai.
Spread across 1,160 hectares (2,866 acres), the airport has been designed with a strong focus on sustainability and eco-friendly infrastructure, including the use of renewable energy and green building practices. Once fully completed, NMIA is expected to handle 90 million passengers per annum. In its initial phase, the airport will have the capacity to manage 20 million passengers annually and handle 0.5 million metric tonnes of cargo each year.
