News Brief
PM Modi Inaugurates Navi Mumbai International Airport Phase 1 — Key Highlights Of The Rs 19,650 Crore Landmark Project
Prime Minister joined by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani (Credit: @PIB_India/X)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (8 October) finally inaugurated Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), a landmark Greenfield project built at a cost of around Rs 19,650 crore.
Before the official launch, the Prime Minister inspected the terminal, joined by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani.
Passenger services are set to begin with domestic flights in the coming weeks, followed by international operations from December.
The building’s design, inspired by the lotus, incorporates motifs that reflect Maharashtra’s culture and heritage.
The airport has been planned as a model of green and smart infrastructure. It will feature India’s first Automated People Mover system linking its terminals, storage facilities for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and provisions to generate 47 MW of solar energy.
NMIA will also be India’s first fully digital airport, deploying DigiYatra for contactless processing and AI-based systems across check-in, security, and boarding.
The first phase includes 66 check-in counters and 22 self-baggage drop kiosks aimed at cutting queues and ensuring faster passenger flow.
Airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air have already committed to operating from the new hub.
Describing the inauguration as a “grand moment” for Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced that the airport will be named after Dinkar Balu Patil, remembered for championing fair compensation for project-affected families during Navi Mumbai’s initial development.
