Navi Mumbai International Airport Set to Resolve Mumbai’s Capacity Crunch.

After years of complaints from airline executives about severe congestion at Mumbai’s existing airport, which often forces aircraft to hover while waiting for landing slots, a long-awaited solution is finally taking shape.

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, cited airport congestion as a key factor behind rising operational costs last year, due to increased fuel burn during delays. The city’s growing demand for air travel—currently outstripping the airport’s capacity—has made an alternative airport critical.

The Adani Group plans to launch operations at the new Navi Mumbai Airport by December, offering much-needed relief. Sources familiar with the project revealed that the airport will initially operate for 12 hours a day, managing around 12 aircraft movements per hour. Over the next three months, this capacity is expected to rise to 30 movements per hour, significantly easing the pressure on Mumbai’s primary airport.

Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airports, previously told the Economic Times, “It will be a great boost to the entire infrastructure of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The current airport is limited to handling 55 million passengers annually, while the actual demand is around 75 million. The new airport will help bridge this gap.”

Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Airport will feature a single terminal and runway, capable of handling 20 million passengers annually. However, officials anticipate that this capacity will be reached by fiscal year 2027, prompting plans for expansion to accommodate 50 million passengers per year, including a new terminal and runway.

Airlines are optimistic about the new facility. Akasa Air, a relatively new player facing slot constraints at Mumbai Airport, expects the Navi Mumbai Airport to open opportunities for growth. The airline plans to operate roughly 100 weekly domestic departures at launch, scaling to 300 domestic and over 50 international flights gradually. Praveen Iyer, Akasa Air’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Together with Noida Airport, these two new airports will act as catalysts for growth in two of India’s most critical markets that have been slot-constrained for quite some time.”

Government officials also highlighted the airport’s potential to boost cargo operations. “The airport is geographically well-positioned for cargo, offering reduced transit times and proximity to warehousing and industrial hubs within the Mumbai region and surrounding catchment areas,” an official stated.

With the Navi Mumbai Airport set to alleviate capacity issues and support both passenger and cargo traffic, Mumbai’s aviation infrastructure is poised for a significant upgrade.