Navi Mumbai Airport: The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) today reached another significant milestone as the first commercial flight, an IndiGo A320, successfully landed on its newly constructed runway. The flight, which took off from Mumbai Airport, landed on the South Runway of NMIA, marking a major step toward the airport’s operational readiness. The plane was greeted with a water cannon salute by Rosenbauer fire engines in a ceremonial welcome.
Vijay Singhal, CEO of CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation), stated that approximately 84% of the construction work is now complete, with the airport set to be officially inaugurated on April 17, 2025. Singhal emphasized that the airport is poised to be the greenest in India, equipped with state-of-the-art sustainable infrastructure. It will also feature superior connectivity, including links to nearby ports, railways, metro systems, and even proposed water transport services.
Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airport Holdings Limited, shared that domestic and cargo operations are expected to begin shortly after the airport’s formal opening. He also projected the airport would handle around 10-12 million passengers annually, with that number expected to rise to 20 million by the end of 2025.
This development follows a successful trial landing earlier in October when an Indian Air Force C295 aircraft made the first-ever landing on the NMIA runway, marking an important step in the certification process. A further milestone was achieved when a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft from the Indian Air Force flew over the airport in a short-distance maneuver.
The successful landing of the IndiGo A320 today is a crucial step in NMIA’s progression towards becoming a fully operational hub for domestic and international air travel. The event also served as a technical evaluation of landing and take-off maneuvers, with senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), and CIDCO in attendance.
As NMIA prepares for its grand opening next year, the airport is set to transform air connectivity in the region, contributing significantly to Mumbai’s aviation ecosystem and boosting economic growth through enhanced infrastructure and traffic capacity.
