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Mumbai’s long-awaited Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is nearing inauguration and is expected to become operational in the coming months. Spread across 1,100 hectares with two parallel runways, the airport will initially handle 20 million additional passengers, eventually scaling up to 90 million annually.
Adani Airport Holdings CEO Arun Bansal said NMIA will “significantly ease congestion” as Mumbai’s existing airport has already hit its 55 million passenger capacity. Positioned 40km from Mumbai’s commercial hub, the new airport is connected by India’s longest sea bridge and is being developed as the country’s first fully digital hub airport.
Partnerships with carriers such as IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India have already been announced, with airlines planning new domestic and international routes.
However, connectivity remains a major concern. Travel to NMIA could take up to three hours from some suburbs, and a planned 20-minute metro link won’t be operational for several years. Until then, shuttle buses will bridge the gap. Experts say poor last-mile connectivity and regulatory hurdles, like repeated security checks for transfers, could limit NMIA’s potential to rival global hubs such as Singapore and Dubai.
Still, analysts note that Mumbai joining the ranks of cities like New York, London, and Tokyo with multiple airports marks a significant step in India’s fast-growing aviation sector.
