PM Modi Inaugurates Navi Mumbai International Airport Phase 1 — Key Highlights Of The Rs 19,650 Crore Landmark Project

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.

Spanning 1,160 hectares, the new airport is expected to ease the pressure on Mumbai’s overburdened Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport while giving a significant push to India’s aviation capacity.

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.

Designed by London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, NMIA will eventually have four passenger terminals and two parallel runways, with a dedicated VVIP terminal planned for completion by 2030.

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.

Electric buses will form part of its ground transport system, while a unique water taxi service will connect it to other parts of the city.

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.

Reflecting on his government’s ten-year emphasis on enhancing air connectivity, PM Modi remarked, “In 2014, I had said it was my dream that even people wearing hawai chappals (slippers) should be able to travel by air. To fulfil this, it was important to set up new airports across the country.”

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