On June 17, the CEO of Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL), BVJK Sharma, informed the media that the airport aims to initiate international operations for both passenger and freight services starting July 15.
The Navi Mumbai Airport, owned by the Adani Group and with a 26 percent stake held by Maharashtra’s urban planning and infrastructure development agency, Cidco, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October of the previous year.
It began domestic commercial operations on December 25, 2025.
Air India Express plans to launch its international services from NMIA to Abu Dhabi on July 15, with bookings for these new overseas flights opening today, making it the first airline to initiate international operations from the greenfield airport, the source informed PTI.
Other domestic and international carriers are expected to follow, he added.
The Air India Express spokesperson was unavailable for comment.
”We are beginning with freighters on July 15, and we anticipate ramping up to nearly 18 weekly flights. Positive news is that there is also movement regarding passenger services, and we hope that international passenger flights will commence on July 15,” the NMIAL CEO stated to reporters at the Brihanmumbai Customs Broker’s Association’s Logistics Conclave held in the financial hub.
This announcement from Sharma came after a senior official from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) reviewed the airport’s readiness for international operations on June 16.
The airport operator had initially planned to launch international services based on the airline’s summer schedule (from the last week of March to the last week of October) but had to postpone due to the conflict in West Asia.
Currently, Navi Mumbai International Airport serves about 20,000 passengers daily, with 150 departures and arrivals. By the end of the year, the airport expects daily passenger traffic to increase to 50,000 and handle 380 air traffic movements (arrivals and departures) each day.
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