Navi Mumbai Airport Takes Flight: Commercial Operations Begin, IndiGo First Carrier

• Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) commenced commercial flight operations on Thursday, with an IndiGo flight from Bengaluru marking the first scheduled service.
• The airport, inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi, was developed at a cost of Rs 19,650 crore by NMIAL (Adani Group 74%, CIDCO 26%).
• Initially, four airlines (IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air, Star Air) operate domestic services to nine destinations, with IndiGo connecting to 13 routes.
• Operations are limited to a 12-hour window (8 am-8 pm), handling up to 24 daily departures and 10 aircraft movements per hour.
• Terminal 1 has an annual capacity of 20 million passengers; 24/7 operations are planned by February 2026.

Why It Matters: Navi Mumbai Airport begins commercial flights, enhancing connectivity with initial domestic routes.