IndiGo to Operate First Commercial Flights from Navi Mumbai International Airport
IndiGo will be the first airline to operate commercial flights from the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI), with plans to begin phased operations starting August 2025, officials confirmed.
Developed by Adani Airports, NMI is expected to serve 20 million passengers annually in its first phase and expand capacity to 90 million by 2036. The launch is part of a dual-airport strategy to reduce congestion at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers confirmed that the carrier will initially connect the new airport to over 15 domestic destinations and later scale up its presence. The airline plans 79 daily departures by November 2025, including 14 international services. Operations are expected to expand to over 100 daily departures by March 2026 and 140 by November 2026, with 30 international flights. Elbers said the launch reinforces IndiGo’s commitment to meet growing passenger demand and support the rapid evolution of India’s aviation sector. Adani Airport Holdings CEO Arun Bansal called the announcement a “major step” in positioning NMI as a new hub for domestic and international travel.
Construction of the $2 billion airport began in August 2021. While the official launch date has not been confirmed, a NOTAM issued by the Airports Authority of India earlier this month indicated that operations would not begin before August 6. NMI COO Prabhat Mahapatra had earlier said the airport was aiming for a commercial launch in early August. This development coincides with IndiGo’s global expansion. The airline will launch flights to Manchester on July 1 and to Amsterdam on July 2, using Boeing 787 aircraft wet-leased from Norse Atlantic Airways. Each route will operate thrice weekly. Earlier in May, IndiGo reported a record quarterly net profit of ₹3,070 crore for the March quarter, though full-year profits dropped 11.2% to ₹7,260 crore.
The carrier remains India’s largest airline by market share and continues to expand its domestic and international footprint. The new Navi Mumbai International Airport is expected to play a crucial role in supporting the growth of IndiGo and the broader Indian aviation sector, providing more options for travelers and reducing the strain on existing infrastructure.
