Navi Mumbai Airport operational; IndiGo, Akasa Air, Air India Express and Star Air launch flights

by Ajay Leave A Comment

It has been in the making for a long while, and it finally came home on December 25, 2025. Navi Mumbai International Airport, which was conceptualised over a decade ago, began to take shape in 2017 when the GVK group’s bids were accepted. The project was eventually executed by the Adani Group, which took over the assets and operations of the Mumbai International Airport Limited from GVK Group in 2020. The project was inaugurated in early November 2025, and an operation start date was set on December 25, 2025.

Navi Mumbai Airport launches operations.

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) began commercial flight operations on December 25, expanding capacity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The opening adds a critical new gateway for a region that has faced sustained congestion for over a decade. Planned as part of a distributed aviation framework, NMIA supports Mumbai’s transition to a multi-airport system to improve capacity, operational resilience, and long-term scalability. With NMIA now operational, Mumbai joins global aviation cities such as London, New York, Moscow, Tokyo and Shanghai—each supported by multiple airports to meet rising demand.

The image shows a modern architectural structure with a sweeping, curved roof design. The building is reflected in a body of water in the foreground, which is adorned with pink water lilies. The sky above is partly cloudy, creating a dramatic backdrop. The structure features large, arched openings and appears to be illuminated from within.

View of NMIA (Courtesy, NMIA/Adani Group)

On Day One, domestic services were operated by IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air, connecting NMIA to nine destinations across India. On Day One, NMIA handled 48 flights to nine domestic destinations, serving over 4,000 passengers. Peak traffic was recorded between 05:00 and 07:00 hours, reflecting strong early demand and operational readiness from the outset. During the initial phase, NMIA will operate between 08:00 hrs and 20:00 hrs, with up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations and the capability to manage up to 10 aircraft movements per hour. From February 2026, operations are planned to scale up to round-the-clock services progressively.

The inaugural commercial arrival—IndiGo flight 6E460 from Bengaluru—landed at 08:00 hours to a traditional water cannon salute.

An airplane is on a runway being greeted with a water salute from two fire trucks, one on each side. The scene is set during sunset or sunrise, with a warm, hazy sky in the background.

IndiGo’s 6E460 was the first commercial flight to arrive at NMIA on Dec 25, 2025.

Chairman of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, personally welcomed passengers from the inaugural flight and interacted with airport staff, frontline workers and first-time flyers. He later joined a ceremonial walk through the departure terminal with airport employees, community representatives and Adani Foundation beneficiaries. Farmers, underprivileged families and colleagues with disabilities experienced their first-ever flight through a special chartered aerial tour of Mumbai.

Inspired by the lotus, India’s national flower, the terminal architecture integrates cultural identity with contemporary design and sustainability features. In its initial phase, NMIA is designed to handle 20 million passengers per annum (MPPA), with future expansion planned to scale capacity up to 90 MPPA, supported by dedicated cargo terminals and multimodal connectivity.

Domestic Airlines, which will operate its flights from NMIA.

IndiGo

IndiGo’s initial services from NMIA connect to the following 13 destinations:

  • Daily flights to/from Ahmedabad effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Bengaluru effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Cochin effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Delhi effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Hyderabad effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Lucknow effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Mangaluru effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Nagpur effective December 25, 2025
  • 6x weekly flights to/from Goa (Mopa) effective December 25, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Jaipur effective December 26, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Chennai effective December 29, 2025
  • Daily flights to/from Coimbatore effective December 29, 2025
  • 5x weekly flights to/from Vadodara effective December 30, 2025
A group of men is participating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an inaugural flight at an airport. They are cutting a blue ribbon that reads "IndiGo Inaugural Flight Navi Mumbai." The scene is decorated with blue and white balloons and floral arrangements. The men are dressed in formal attire, and the setting appears to be inside an airport terminal.

IndiGo and Adani Airport Teams at the launch of flights from NMIA

The commencement of flights from NMIA is part of IndiGo’s efforts to leverage the airport as a strategic aviation gateway, complementing Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and offering a seamless travel experience to customers in and around the city. Here are the flight timings.

This image is a flight schedule table effective from December 25, 2025. It includes columns for the sector, flight number, days of operation, departure time, and arrival time. The table lists various flights between Navi Mumbai and other cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mangaluru, Lucknow, Nagpur, and Goa. Most flights operate daily, while some have specific days of operation. The image is a table showing flight schedules effective on different dates in December 2025. It includes: - **26 December 2025:** - Navi Mumbai to Jaipur (Flight 6E 0954) at 14:55, arriving at 16:30. - Jaipur to Navi Mumbai (Flight 6E 0955) at 17:10, arriving at 18:55. - **29 December 2025:** - Navi Mumbai to Coimbatore (Flight 6E 0860) at 09:00, arriving at 10:45. - Coimbatore to Navi Mumbai (Flight 6E 0861) at 11:15, arriving at 13:05. - Chennai to Navi Mumbai (Flight 6E 0898) at 06:25, arriving at 08:15. - Navi Mumbai to Chennai (Flight 6E 0899) at 19:40, arriving at 21:50. - **30 December 2025:** - Navi Mumbai to Vadodara (Flight 6E 0890) on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 15:00, arriving at 16:05. - Vadodara to Navi Mumbai (Flight 6E 0891) on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 16:40, arriving at 17:

Akasa Air

Akasa Air’s inaugural flight on December 25, 2025, departed from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 05:25 am and arrived at Navi Mumbai International Airport at 08:10 am. The inaugural flight from Navi Mumbai International Airport departed at 08:50 am and arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 11:15 am.

A group of men in formal attire are standing on a red carpet in front of a backdrop with logos and text that reads "Welcome Akasa Air" and "Navi Mumbai International Airport." There is a traditional brass lamp with marigold garlands in the foreground, and floral decorations are visible at the top of the backdrop.

Akasa and Adani Airport Teams at the launch of flights from NMIA

Akasa Air will operate scheduled flights connecting Navi Mumbai with Goa, Delhi, Kochi and Ahmedabad. Passengers can fly Akasa Air.

  • From Navi Mumbai to Goa, effective December 25, 2025
  • From Navi Mumbai to Delhi, effective December 25, 2025
  • From Navi Mumbai to Kochi, effective December 26, 2025
  • From Navi Mumbai to Ahmedabad, effective December 31, 2025

In an event held at Navi Mumbai International Airport to flag off the maiden flight, a ceremonial lamp was lit in the presence of Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air, alongside leadership members from Adani Airport Holdings Ltd. A special boarding pass was presented to the first passenger on the inaugural flight.

The airline will progressively ramp up operations from NMIA, scaling up to 300 domestic and 50 international departures per week. As part of its broader network strategy, the airline is also set to ramp up to 10 parking bases by the end of FY2027, with a focused international expansion into key Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian markets.

Here is the schedule of Akasa Flights to and from Navi Mumbai.

The image is a flight schedule table with details of flights effective from December 25th to December 31st, 2025. It includes columns for flight number, origin, departure time, destination, arrival time, operating days, and whether the flight is non-stop or through. The schedule lists flights between cities such as Delhi, Navi Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, and Ahmedabad, with specific inaugural schedules and daily operations noted.

Air India Express

Air India Express inaugurated its services from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) with direct flights to Bengaluru and Delhi.

The first Air India Express flight from Navi Mumbai International Airport operated to Bengaluru, marking the commencement of the airline’s services from the new airport. The occasion was marked by a special ceremony at NMIA, during which the first guest was presented with a commemorative boarding pass.

A group of people is standing on a red carpet at an airport, holding a large sign that reads "First Guest Navi Mumbai." They are smiling and appear to be part of a welcoming ceremony. The background features banners with the Air India Express logo and floral decorations. Two women in red uniforms are standing on either side of the group.

Air India Express launches operations from Navi Mumbai Airport

Here is the schedule of operations for Navi Mumbai by Air India Express

This image is a flight schedule table. It includes two sections: 1. **Schedule effective from December 25, 2025:** - **Navi Mumbai to Bengaluru:** Departure at 08:55, arrival at 11:05, daily. - **Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai:** Departure at 06:00, arrival at 08:10, daily. - **Navi Mumbai to Delhi:** Departure at 14:05, arrival at 16:20, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. - **Delhi to Navi Mumbai:** Departure at 11:15, arrival at 13:25, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. 2. **Additional flights from January 1, 2026:** - **Navi Mumbai to Bengaluru:** Departure at 19:35, arrival at 21:35, daily. - **Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai:** Departure at 16:55, arrival at 18:55, daily. - **Navi Mumbai to Delhi:** Departure at 09:00, arrival at 11:10, daily. - **Delhi to Navi Mumbai:** Departure at 06:00, arrival at 08:20, daily. All timings are local.

Bottomline

Navi Mumbai Airport, after much talk, is now a show on the road. The airport went live on December 25, 2025, and is already serving a reasonable number of flights, with 15 destinations on the board (including Bengaluru, Delhi, Goa, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Nagpur, Jaipur, Chennai, Coimbatore, Vadodara). Four airlines (IndiGo, Akasa, Star Air and Air India Express) have already started operations. The airport is expected to go 24/7 soon, and will operate international flights in six months.

What do you make of the launch of Navi Mumbai International Airport?

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About Ajay

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

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