An aircraft was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute as Navi Mumbai International Airport commenced commercial flight operations on Thursday, December 25. PTI
Navi Mumbai international airport begins operations, boost to MMR capacity
An IndiGo flight from Bengaluru marked the first touchdown at the new facility, which is expected to handle 90 million passengers once fully complete
The Navi Mumbai International Airport commenced commercial flight operations on Thursday (December 25), marking a key milestone for India's civil aviation sector, while expanding air travel capacity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) began operations, with the first flight from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo, touching down the runway at 8 am.
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The aircraft was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute on arrival, a time-honoured aviation tradition marking NMIA's first commercial touchdown and departure, the airport operator said in a statement.
The inaugural arrival was followed by the airport's first departure IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad at 08.40 am, completing inaugural arrival and departure cycle, it added.
First day schedule
On the first day, IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and Star Air are expected to operate domestic services, connecting the new facility to nine destinations across India.
The airport will handle 15 scheduled departures on the first day, the statement said, adding that during the initial phase, the facility will operate for 12 hours -- between 8 am and 8 pm, with up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations and the capability to manage up to 10 aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) per hour, it added.
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The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8 this year.
90 million beneficiaries
The first phase of the five-phased airport was built at Rs 19,650 crore. By the time all five phases of the airport are completed, it will be catering to 90 million passengers annually, along with dedicated cargo terminals and multi-modal connectivity.
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The entire project is being developed in multiple phases under a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), in which the Adani Group has a 74 per cent stake, and the remaining 26 per cent is owned by CIDCO.
From February next year, operations are planned to progressively scale up to round-the-clock services.