Navi Mumbai International Airport Launch Faces Delay As Rains Batter Mumbai Region: Report

The much awaited launch of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has been postponed by at least a fortnight due to heavy rains across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the Konkan belt, Hindustan Times reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was to inaugurate the project on 30 September, has reportedly deferred his visit after the Prime Minister’s Office alerted the Maharashtra government of difficulties in reaching the Ulwe site owing to “loose soil and muck on the roads.”

The launch is now expected sometime in October.

PM Modi’s planned inauguration of the final stretch of Mumbai Metro Line 3 has also been pushed back.

Despite the delay, preparations for NMIA’s commercial rollout are gathering pace.

Air India has joined IndiGo and Akasa Air in announcing operations from the new airport.

Its low-cost arm, Air India Express, will begin with 20 daily flights to 15 Indian cities, scaling up to 55 departures by mid-2026, including international routes.

IndiGo has promised 18 daily flights at launch, expanding to 140 within 18 months, while Akasa plans 15 daily services initially.

Connectivity projects are also advancing.

The City and Industrial Development Corporation has invited bids to review the Detailed Project Report for Metro Line 8, a Rs 20,000 crore PPP venture linking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to NMIA.

Meanwhile, Central Railway is enhancing the Nerul/Belapur–Uran corridor with 20 additional daily services from October, and two new stations—Targhar and Gavhan nearing completion. Targhar will serve as a crucial gateway to the airport.

When fully built in five phases, NMIA is projected to handle 90 million passengers and 3.2 million metric tonnes of cargo annually.

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