Navi Mumbai International Airport begins operations; first landing gets water cannon salute | Video
The launch of scheduled passenger services at NMIA is expected to ease air travel pressure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and strengthen India’s civil aviation infrastructure. The new airport aims to improve connectivity and accommodate the growing demand for air travel in the region.
Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) officially started operations on Thursday as it welcomed its first commercial flight. This is seen as a major development for the region’s aviation sector. The inaugural flight, IndiGo 6E460 from Bengaluru, landed at 08:00 am and was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute, a symbolic gesture commonly used to celebrate important aviation events.
Shortly after, the airport witnessed its first departure when IndiGo flight 6E882 took off for Hyderabad at 08:40 am, completing the airport’s first arrival-departure cycle.
The launch of scheduled passenger services at NMIA is expected to ease air travel pressure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and strengthen India’s civil aviation infrastructure. The new airport aims to improve connectivity and accommodate the growing demand for air travel in the region.
Notably, the Navi Mumbai International Airport has been co-developed by Adani Airports Holdings and City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO).
Adani Group has hailed the opening of the new airport, calling it a “new era” in the aviation sector.
“A new era for Indian aviation takes shape. After years of planning and execution, Navi Mumbai International Airport stands ready to welcome its first flight,” the X post read.
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani himself reached the airport and greeted passengers as they disembarked the plane upon landing.
All about Navi Mumbai International Airport
The Navi Mumbai International Airport is the second commercial airport serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this airport on October 8, with its commercial operations slated for December 25.
The airport project, which received approval from the Indian government in 2007, faced significant delays primarily due to land acquisition challenges. The Maharashtra government had designated CIDCO as the nodal agency to oversee the implementation of the project.
Construction work, carried out by Larsen & Toubro, formally began with a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2018.