Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani has confirmed that the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) will be inaugurated on October 8, marking a milestone in one of India’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. The greenfield airport recently secured its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), clearing the final regulatory hurdle before operations.
NMI is being developed by Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), a joint venture in which the Adani Group holds a 74% stake, with the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) owning the remaining 26%. Planned in five phases, the project is designed to ultimately handle 90 million passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo annually, placing it among Asia’s largest aviation hubs.
Strategically located, the airport lies 14 km from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), 22 km from Taloja Industrial Area, 32 km from Thane, and 40 km from Bhiwandi, making it a critical node for both passenger and cargo connectivity. Key features include a 3,700-metre runway, modern passenger terminals, and advanced air traffic control systems capable of handling large commercial aircraft.
The project is expected to ease the heavy traffic burden on Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and strengthen Western India’s role as a global aviation and logistics hub. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, India currently has 162 operational airports.
The first phase of Navi Mumbai International Airport is projected to accommodate 20 million passengers annually, with full-scale capacity to be phased in alongside the region’s fast-rising demand for air travel.
