The long-awaited opening of one of India’s two major airport projects of the current decade is scheduled for next week. After some negotiation regarding the date and a cancellation on September 30, 2025, the new date has been set. October 8, 2025, has been earmarked for the formal inauguration of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA / “NMI”).
Render of Navi Mumbai International Airport released by erstwhile owner GVK
Navi Mumbai International Airport to be inaugurated on October 8, 2025
The original inauguration date was postponed by a month, citing that the access roads around the airport were not yet ready. On September 30, 2025, the airport received its certification from the DGCA, confirming it was ready to launch operations.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adani-navi-mumbai_navimumbaiairport-milestone-airport-activity-7378703834006634496-rpBl
On the same day, Gautam Adani, the industrialist whose conglomerate owns a majority stake in the new airport, also visited the airport and announced that it would be inaugurated on October 8, 2025.
Ahead of the inauguration of Navi Mumbai International Airport on 8 Oct, I met with our differently-abled colleagues, construction workers, women staff, engineers, artisans, fire fighters and the guards who helped bring this vision to life. I felt the pulse of a living wonder – a… pic.twitter.com/Uj7Ikue7vM
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) October 1, 2025
The Indian PM, Mr Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the project on October 8, 2025. Flights to the airport will still take some time, but are expected to start in October.
Airline Plans: Indigo, Akasa, Air India Express — Betting Big on NMIA
Three carriers (IndiGo, Akasa, and Air India Express) have already announced plans to fly from here.
In May 2025, IndiGo announced its plans. 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 2025, and further scaled up to over 100 daily departures (200 ATMs) by March 2026. By November ’26, operations will be further expanded to 140 daily departures (280 ATMs), including 30 international departures.
Although the timeline will shift by a few months, I anticipate the plans will remain unchanged. IndiGo bets that NMIA will relieve pressure on Mumbai’s existing airport and serve as a growth axis for domestic and international traffic in the region.
Akasa Air is not remaining on the sidelines. The carrier has also formalised a partnership with Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, positioning itself as one of the inaugural airline partners of NMIA.
Akasa Air will initially operate over 100 weekly domestic departures, scaling up to more than 300 domestic and over 50 international departures weekly in the winter schedule. As part of its broader network strategy, the airline is also set to expand to 10 parking bases by the end of fiscal year 2027, with a focus on international expansion into key Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian markets.
The Air India group also recently confirmed it will be a major player at NMIA. Air India Express (their low-cost arm) is earmarked to operate 20 daily departures (40 ATMs) initially, connecting 15 Indian cities. By mid-2026, that scale is projected to climb to around 55 daily departures (110 ATMs), including five international flights. By winter 2026, the group foresees 60 daily departures/arrivals (120 movements) from NMIA. Thus, while the full-service Air India might take longer, the Express arm will be holding fort from day one.
Bottomline
The date is set. On October 8, 2025, the Navi Mumbai International Airport is scheduled to be inaugurated. Within a few days, the first flights from the airport will take off. IndiGo intends to be the launch operator, and Akasa and Air India Express are also preparing to launch flights as soon as the airport can commence operations.
What do you think will be the fascinating destinations that will be covered from Navi Mumbai International Airport?
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