NEW DELHI: India’s largest airline - IndiGo - and Adani Airport Holdings Ltd. (AAHL), the largest operator of PPP airports in India have joined hands to smoothen commercial flight services from the soon-to-be operational Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
IndiGo will operate 18 daily departures (36 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) from NMIA to over 15 cities from day one, making it the first airline to commit to operating from NMIA at the start of commercial operations.
This will be increased to 79 daily departures (158 ATMs), including 14 international departures by November ’25, and further scaled up to over 100 daily departures (200 ATMS) by March ’26. By November ’26, the operations will be further built up to 140 daily departures (280 ATMs) including 30 international departures.
Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo said that IndiGo will be the inaugural airline to operate from NMIA and the alliance signals towards achievement of complete operational readiness on both sides to take next steps.
Arun Bansal, CEO of AAHL said that this partnership marks a major step towards confirming NMIA’s position as a transfer hub for domestic and international travellers. Together, we are poised to transform travel experience for millions of passengers, providing them both convenience and enhanced travel options, stated Bansal.
In its initial phase, NMIA is set to handle 20 million passengers and 0.5 MMT of cargo per annum, with the capacity to serve 90 million passengers and 3.2 MMT of cargo per annum, once complete.
The launch of the much-awaited NMIA was recently postponed once again. The airport, which was initially expected to begin operations by 15 May 2025, will now remain non-functional at least until 6 August 2025.
The launch of NMIA will create a dual-airport system for the financial capital of the country, enabling the de-congestion of Mumbai airport and enhancing the overall passenger experience.