For crores of people living in Mumbai and surrounding areas, today (December 25, 2025) has been recorded in the pages of history. After years of waiting and passing many deadlines, commercial flights have finally started from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). This gift received on the special occasion of Christmas will not only reduce Mumbai’s air traffic pressure, but will also make the city of dreams the first metropolis in India to have two international airports.
On the very first day, four major airlines Indigo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air are operating domestic flights from here. The first take-off of the aircraft from Navi Mumbai airport took place at 8:55 am. This Indigo plane flew to Hyderabad. Let us tell you that the airport terminal was opened for passengers at around 6:40 in the morning.
30 flights proposed on the first day
According to the airport management, there will be a total of 30 air traffic movements (inbound and outbound flights) on the first day, which includes 15 departures. In the initial phase the airport will operate from 8 am to 8 pm. During this period, there will be capacity to handle up to 24 scheduled flights daily and movement of 10 aircraft per hour. Currently, NMIA is connecting 9 cities of the country, which is planned to be gradually expanded to 13 destinations.
Airport facilities
The terminal building of this airport with state-of-the-art facilities and spread over about 1160 hectares is based on the theme of India’s national flower, Lotus. Along with its grandeur, this airport is also unmatched in terms of technology. Here passengers will get the facility of Digi Yatra, which will make paperless and contactless entry possible without any paper hassle. Additionally, special arrangements have been made for dining and shopping inside the terminal, keeping in mind the local flavor and affordable prices.
cost of building an airport
Cost and future blueprint: The first phase of this greenfield airport, built in partnership with Adani Group and CIDCO, has cost around Rs 19,650 crore. In the first phase, its capacity is to handle 2 crore passengers annually, but after the completion of all five phases in the coming years, this figure will reach 9 crore.
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