Infrastructure
An illustration of Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The soon-to-be-launched Navi Mumbai International Airport has obtained the crucial three-letter location code from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
A quick search on the IATA website reveals that 'NMI' will be the IATA code for Navi Mumbai's DB Patil International Airport, while Mumbai's current international airport, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSIA), retains its familiar location code 'BOM'.
The code, which will become active once airport operations start, will help travellers and aviation professionals to identify and communicate destinations swiftly and accurately avoiding any confusion and mistakes.
Issued in accordance with IATA Passenger Services Conference Resolution 763, the IATA location identifier or three-letter code serves as a unique marker for each airport worldwide, ensuring clarity and precision in global aviation communications.
These codes play a pivotal role not only in passengers' travel documents but also in various daily communications, including flight schedules, ticketing, baggage handling, and overall operational and logistical coordination.
The upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, slated to become the second airport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), aims to alleviate the capacity constraints experienced by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
With a projected 40 per cent increase in passenger handling capacity overnight, the new airport is poised to significantly impact the demand-supply dynamics in the MMR region.
The project is spearheaded by Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) jointly owned by Adani Airport Holdings Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited) and CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation) in a 74:26 ratio.
The commercial operationalisation of Navi Mumbai airport is expected by 31 March 2025, said Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, in January this year.