IndiGo on Saturday (November 15) announced that it will launch domestic flights from the newly built Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) to 10 cities from December 25. It will mark a major expansion of connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Meanwhile, Akasa Air on Saturday also revealed its plans to commence operations from the new airport, in a staggered manner, starting December 25.
Sharing the news of launching multiple flights soon, IndiGo also shared that it is planning to scale up operations from the new airport in phases, adding more direct routes to additional destinations over time. The two big airlines' announcement indicate that the Navi Mumbai Airport, inaugurate on October 8 this year, will commence commercial operations from the Christmas.
What Akasa Air Said?
The airline noted that the Navi Mumbai hub will play a key role in easing congestion at Mumbai’s existing airport and enhancing overall travel options for passengers.
Connecting directly with four Indian cities, Akasa Air will operate its maiden flight between Delhi and NMIA on December 25, which will be followed by services to Goa, Kochi, and Ahmedabad in subsequent days.
The airline said it will progressively ramp up operations from the second airport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, scaling up to 300 domestic and 50 international weekly departures over a period of time.
All About Navi Mumbai International Airport
Spread across 1,160 hectares, the airport will have one terminal and one runway in the first phase, with an annual passenger handling capacity of 20 million. The first phase of the airport has been built at a cost of Rs 19,650 crore.
The facility was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8 this year.
List of 10 cities to be connected with NMIA
IndiGo said it will connect the future-ready airport to ten cities across India, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, North Goa (Mopa), Jaipur, Nagpur, Cochin, and Mangalore, starting December 25.
Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is designed to complement the existing Mumbai International Airport and cater to the growing demand for air travel from India's financial capital, the airline said.
Strategically located, NMIA is expected to play a pivotal role in enhancing regional connectivity and supporting economic development in western India.
Gurugram-based IndiGo operates over 2,300 daily flights to more than 130 destinations, including 90 domestic airports.
The airline had a fleet size of 409 aircraft, with 362 in operations and 47 on ground, as of November 14, as per the aircraft fleet tracking website, Planespotter.net.